RollerCoaster Life
by RayeMoon
Summary: SetoxYami, YugixJoey, JoeyxYami. Alternate Reality, sex, language, gore, death, angst, yaoi. When Kaiba returns to Domino after five years, he finds that all he ever knew is no longer what it was. Joey and Yami are... and where is Yugi?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One:

"I'm sure you'll like this, Mister Kaiba," Hagasaki said as he opened the door for Seto to enter ahead of him.

"After five years abroad, I'm sure you could use some entertainment."

Seto paused as he took in the place. Called the Fire Room, it was not what he had expected, far less a respectable place to do business than a dive. The walls were white with flames painted everywhere, the floor carpeted in hot orange, the chairs and tables black. A long T-stage with a stainless steel pole dominated most of the room, a bar taking up another wall. More than half of the tables and booths were occupied by businessmen in a myriad of suit styes, being attended to by scantily-clad, beautiful males.

It was a gay stripclub.

Seto turned slowly to look at Hagasaki, who looked back up at him with a lewd smirk that slowly melted off his face at the expression on Seto's. He twisted the handle of his briefcase and finally dropped his gaze.

"What makes you think I would enjoy something like this, Hagasaki?" Seto demanded in a dangerously soft voice.

Hagasaki coughed nervously before attempting to be cajoling. "One of us can always tell another, eh? Ah..." His attempt at a conspiratorial wink fell flat and he nervously shifted from one foot to the other and licked his lips. "Ah, M-Mister Kaiba, the Fire Room is known for its descretion. As well as its entertainment, like I said."

Seto watched Hagasaki gaze at a slender, pretty blond in an 'innocent' white outfit with stitching up the pants' seams that showed his legs to the hips. The blond winked at Hagasaki, who looked up at Seto, chuckling. His smile fell off his face more rapidly this time and he started looking more frightened the longer Seto glowered at him, but also more determined.

"I already have an invitation, and we do have business to discuss."

"Yes, I can see how much business is on your mind."

Hagasaki stared at him and Seto growled, glancing at his watch. It was already half past five, and he'd much rather get this over with and head home. He stalked over to the bar and demanded a scotch on the rocks. The tender handed it over without a pause and Seto reluctantly sat down at an available table, watching as Hagasaki intercepted the blond he'd seen earlier. The blond grinned at him, murmuring something in Hagasaki's ear that was clearly a come-on. Seto saw what looked like a hotel room-key change hands before the heat of his glare seemed to awaken the older man to his mounting impatience. Hagasaki came over and they finally got down to business.

It was only because Hagasaki was merging his two smaller distribution companies together under Seto's and extending Kaiba Corp's market in Vietnam, Thailand, and North Korea did he allow himself to be kept here in this dump.

Finally the business was done and Seto was quite ready to leave. As he put away the contracts he'd had Hagasaki sign, an unseen announcer came over the PA.

"Attention customers. Please welcome the Fire Room's sizzling signature act, the White-Hot Duo, WildFire and Shadow Flare!"

'Stupid names,' Seto thought as he snapped shut his briefcase.

"Ah, Mister Kaiba, please stay. You will surely enjoy this."

"You keep saying that, Hagasaki, and yet you've been wrong the entire time."

Flame-decaled black curtains parted, revealing a pair of handsome, twenty-something young men standing on the stage. Seto glanced up automatically and froze in the middle of gathering his coat.

The young man on the left was the taller of the pair, his golden hair and light-tanned skin gleaming beneath the stage lights. His dark brown eyes stared at the floor, his face expressionless. He was wearing an outfit of tight pants and vest in white leather with flames running along them, heavier on the left side than the right. Judging by the coloring, he was Wildfire.

The other was smaller and sleeker than the blond, almost more pretty rather than handsome, his angular face striking. His outfit was black leather, with the flames heavier on the right side than on the left, spiky hair and fierce red eyes completing the picture of what could only be Shadow Flare.

Seto stared without moving, at a loss. Joey Wheeler and Yami were the White-Hot Duo.

As Seto sat there, trying to get his mind around what he was seeing, a pulsing beat began and the two started dancing, equal and opposite of each other. They walked along the stage, swaying their hips and rolling their bodies flexibly. Yami suddenly stepped forward and grabbed the pole, swinging around in a circle, lowering himself slowly at the same time so that by the time he'd completed the circuit he was on his knees. Seto could now see he was right, Shadow Flare was stenciled in red on the back of his vest.

Yami turned around so that his back rested against the pole, raising his arms. Joey reached down and grabbed his hands, pulling him to his feet. Yami translated it into a jump, wrapping his legs around his waist and resting his hands on his shoulders as Joey grabbed the pole and pulled off the same maneuver Yami had with the smaller still clinging to him.

He rested on his knees on the floor and Yami let go of his shoulders and arched his back, unwinding his legs from Joey's waist and pushing off from the stage, doing a back handspring and landing on the stage with a solid thump of his boots. Cheers and whistles erupted through the drunken businessmen.

Joey climbed to his feet, reaching out to grab Yami's hips, letting his hands run up his sides as Yami sank to his knees, raising his hands over his head, eyes drifting closed. Joey turned his back to Yami who got to his feet, rubbing his body against his. He turned and slapped Joey on the ass, to more raucous cheers.

They started dancing separately again, before reaching up and taking off their vests in a quick, ripping motion, twirling them over their heads before throwing them back towards the room behind the stage. As Yami danced towards the edge of the stage, his hands stealing down to the belt around his waist, a businessman, most likely emboldened by the four Highball glasses on his table, reached up and grabbed his leg. Without the slightest change in his expression, Yami jerked his foot back and went back to dancing.

Undaunted, the businessman suddenly clambered onto the stage, reaching out and grabbing Yami's arm, leaning down to whisper something in his ear. Joey stopped dancing abruptly, watching with narrowed eyes. Yami's nose wrinkled, no doubt in response to the breath of his propositioner, and he shook his head dismissively, pulling his arm out of his grip.

"Then to hell with you, whore!" the businessman said, striking Yami with a closed-fisted punch that knocked the smaller to the stage.

Instantly Joey was on him. He tackled him, knocking them both right off of the stage, the man landing on his back on his table, smashing the glasses and flattening it. He cried out in pain, even as Joey reared up on his knees and began punching every inch of him he could reach.

A pair of bouncers rushed forward and grabbed Joey, pulling him off of the businessman, who was dragged to his feet by another. Yami had gotten up, blood running down his lips and chin though he did nothing to stop it, watching the others. Joey had stopped fighting as soon as he'd been pulled up, glaring at the businessman, who was a mess. His own nose looked broken, his face already swelling, shards of glass sticking out of his back.

The bouncer holding his arm hustled him off, the ones holding Joey saying something to him and letting him go. Joey vaulted back onto the stage, gently taking Yami's arm and steering him into the room behind the curtains, which fell into place. The unseen PA announcer came back.

"Due to the actions of our idiot friend, we're closing the Fire Room early and the authorities will be called. Please gather your things and leave."

Amid much grumbling and curses, the businessmen got their belongings and headed out of the room. Hagasaki groaned, pulling on his coat. "Fucking bastard."

Seto got to his feet and slowly pulled on his coat, looking towards the stage. Hagasaki chuckled with a knowing manner.

"Ah, so you did see something you liked."

Seto turned his head to look at him. Hagasaki went the color of curdled milk and all but ran away. Seto glanced once more at the stage. He picked up his briefcase and walked to the edge of the stage, peering past the small gap in the curtains, able to see Joey from the back as he leaned over Yami, holding a wet cloth and gently dabbing the blood from Yami's nose, ignoring his attempts to do it himself. His voice carried enough for Seto to hear.

"I'm sorry I didn't get there faster."

"You don't have to apologize, Joey. I can take care of myself."

Joey laughed, pushing his hand away as he reached for the cloth. "I know that, I just like taking care of ya. I know how you can take care of yourself, I know how tough you are. If you'd had your Puzzle, that dick would be groveling on his knees for you to forgive him."

Seto turned away and left the room, unseen by either of his former fellow duelists. They hadn't noticed he was there the whole time, which was good. He got into his limo and had his driver head for home. He'd just spent five years in America and England with Mokuba, opening three more KaibaLand amusement parks and hadn't returned to Domino until last week.

Apparently a lot had changed. Yami and Joey were now strippers at a hotspot club and Yugi seemed to be no where in sight.

What had happened?

That night Seto lay in bed, glaring up at the ceiling above his head. It was well past midnight, but he couldn't sleep. Try as he might, he couldn't get the images of Yami and Joey stripteasing in that stupid club out of his mind.

He growled to himself as he realized his line of thinking had just revealed something: he was curious. Well, there was no harm in finding out. It would be a lot of fun to torture the Mutt with the knowledge he stripped for cash. He'd also like to know what had driven them to it. Just to satisfy his curiosity and then be done with it.

A/N: It's back, by extremely popular demand. :-O

tbc…


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

"Hey, where's my Shadow at?"

Yami smiled as he heard Joey's voice from the front hall, closing his book and peering around the wing of the armchair he was sitting in.

"Here, Joey."

"Hi. Enjoy your day off?"

Yami nodded, getting to his feet, following Joey into the kitchen. The blond was holding a pizza box in his hands and he set it down on the table, turning to the cabinet to grab glasses. Yami ducked under his arm and pulled a bottle of soda from the refrigerator, pouring their drinks while Joey got paper plates. Yami grabbed a knife and opened the box lid, cutting the slices more cleanly.

"Hear anything about Yug'?" Joey asked tentatively as they sat at the table.

Yami helped himself to a slice of the pizza, looking at the table for a moment before raising his eyes to Joey's, smiling. "Yes, I talked to him this afternoon. He's doing much better."

"That's great! When can we go see him?"

"Aibou is ready for visitors any time. I set up an appointment to see him a week from tomorrow, the earliest I could."

"Ah, man, I can't wait. Gods, it's been so long. Is he really doing better?"

"Yes. He wished he could talk to you, but I told him you were at work."

Joey nodded and they lapsed into a silence for a moment. Finally he looked up and Yami knew what he was going to ask before he did.

"Have you told him?"

"Not yet. He's still recovering, Joey. I will tell him, I promise."

"We'll tell him together, Yami. It's as much my responsibility as yours. More mine, actually, I got us started on it."

Yami smiled, taking a drink of his soda. "Joey, I am not ashamed. If it were not for you, I don't know where we'd be."

"Don't do that, Shadow. It wasn't any sacrifice and you know it. I don't regret it for a second."

Yami nodded and let it go. Joey had taken to teasingly calling him Shadow recently and he didn't bother with protesting. Joey had come up with their stage names himself, working out the whole White-Hot Duo routine and it had been a great success. Yami and Yugi owed him everything. He'd come back to help them, he was responsible for getting them all the money they needed, and Yami couldn't thank him enough. Joey had proven to be a true friend.

"Oh, hey, I have a surprise for you when we're done eating," Joey said abruptly.

"Joey, you've done enough--"

"Stop that. It's for me, too." Joey's eyes twinkled. "What, you thought I was completely unselfish? So hurry up and eat so I can show you."

In truth it was Joey who was finished eating last. He ate more than half the pizza, but Yami had all he wanted and patiently waited for Joey to relieve his appetite, if only for the short time being. Finally the pizza was eaten and the soda drunk and Joey grabbed Yami's hand, pulling him out of his chair. He was making the excited, self-satisfied 'hee-hee' noises that indicated he'd done something he was proud of.

Joey led Yami outside to where a shiny, blue two-door car sat at the curb in front of the three bedroom apartment they rented. He bounced ahead a few paces and smugly tilted backwards to lean against the car, folding his arms. Yami stood and looked at it.

"This is ours?"

"Yep. Well, the down payment's on it. I know I should have asked you first, but I saw we had some extra money and we really needed a car. No more walking down to the Fire Room or back home, or carrying groceries twenty blocks. And now, we can go see Yug' next week without riding the bus for four hours. And don't worry, I really checked it out. We can afford it. So, what do you think?"

Yami wasn't exactly sure what to say. "I like the color."

Joey laughed loudly, clapping him on the shoulder. "There ya go. I knew you wouldn't be mad at me. Want to take it for a spin?"

"I don't know how to drive, Joey."

"What?" Joey looked down at him in surprise. "Oh. Well, I can teach ya sometime, if you want me to. But let's break the baby in, I need to get a feel for it. Want to head down the block and get some ice cream? You need to tell me all about what Yug' said."

Yami agreed, wanting to let Joey enjoy the car he'd bought. They got in and Joey turned on the ignition, grinning broadly as he briefly revved the engine. Yami smiled at his obvious delight and they headed down to the ice cream parlor at the end of the block where he told Joey everything about his aibou and how he was doing.

******

A few days later, Yami walked onto the stage at the Fire Room club. His outfit clung to his body, all fire colors, and he was alone. A slow, seductive beat began and he started dancing, swaying his hips slowly as he strutted down the stage, ignoring the patrons and focusing on his moves. He reached the pole and pulled his swinging move, this time slowly raising to his feet and caressing his body against the pole as he did. Cheers and catcalls answered this move and he twirled around the pole a few times before turning his back to it and raising his arms over his head, lowering himself down to his knees.

Remaining kneeling, he slid his vest down his arms, tossing it towards the back of the stage and getting up again, raising his back half first so that for a moment most of the room got a view of him bent double, straightening up slowly while drawing his hands up his legs. More catcalls and wolf-whistles.

He headed towards the back of the stage again, snapping his hips as he reached down and undid his belt, button, and zipper, turning around again to face the audience. For a few seconds he revolved in place, undulating his body rhythmically and running his hands over himself, raising them up to his slide them through his hair, eyes closed.

Yami lay down on his back, raising his legs up without support to push his pants to his ankles and off. He tossed them up into the air, levering himself up from laying into a back walk-over as his pants smacked against the stage. Still on his hands, he snatched his pants up as his legs came down so that when he was on his feet, he was holding his pants in one hand, leaving himself in his black underwear. It was a lot less revealing than a thong, but the audience was still getting a good look at his legs and the curve of his rear.

He threw his pants back towards the stage room before performing a couple of back-flips, landing precisely with his back against the pole. He swung around it again, this time letting go on the last part of the revolution to slide forward against the stage on his belly just as the song ended, winding up with one leg stretched out and the other curled up against his side, both arms forward and crossed and his cheek resting against the uppermost bicep. He held the enticing pose for a few seconds.

Cheers and clapping broke out as the house lights came up again, Yami climbing to his feet and turning without looking at anyone to walk off stage and back into the room set up for the dancers. Joey was waiting there, a grin on his face. He was holding out normal clothes and Yami gratefully pulled on some black jeans and a blue tank top, snapping his choker around his neck and his cuffs around his wrists.

"Hey, I think they liked that," Joey said with a teasing grin as the clapping continued well beyond what was necessary.

Yami rolled his eyes, picking up a water bottle and taking a drink. Another of the dancers came over, a man in his early thirties who looked barely eighteen, his green eyes as always doing a once-over on Joey before he spoke. Either Joey was oblivious to the obvious desire or he just didn't want to deal with it. With him, Yami couldn't be sure which.

"Hey, Yami, great show."

"Thank you, Derek," Yami said patiently.

"Say, Joey, want to grab a drink before you two head out?"

Joey nodded, looking down at Yami. "I'll get ya something. What are you in the mood for?"

Yami waved his water bottle in negation and followed them out of the side door beside the stage into the club room, sitting down at a table reserved solely for the employees of the Fire Room while Joey headed over to the tender at the bar with Derek. The green-eyed man was doing his best to chat Joey up and Yami felt almost sorry for him, since Joey never acknowledged his feelings, whether intentional or not. Derek just never took the hint and it wasn't Yami's place to tell him.

Something tingled across his awareness abruptly and he turned his head, frowning as he scanned the Fire Room. Nothing but drunken idiots and the silly floozies who attended them. Yami pushed aside the feeling and reluctantly sat at the table while Derek flirted and Joey ignored him. Finally their drinks were done and Yami was glad to say goodnight and head out to their car.

Back at the apartment, he locked up while Joey headed upstairs. Switching off the light, he went up the stairs and started down the hallway. Joey abruptly leaned out of his room and caught Yami around the waist, pulling him into the room with a lascivious smirk. Closing the door with one hand, he pushed Yami back against it, resting his hands on either side of his head.

"I love watching you dance," he said. "You are so hot."

Yami smiled up at him. "Oh?"

Joey bent down and kissed him, wrapping his arms around him and lifting him up enough to turn around and lay him down on the bed. Yami kissed him back, pushing his tongue into his mouth and winding his arms around his neck, sliding his fingers through his hair. Joey broke the kiss and unbuckled his collar, his mouth sliding down his throat. Then he pulled back and smirked, raising an eyebrow in enticement.

"Give me a show, Shadow."

Yami got to his feet as Joey rolled over to sit up on the edge of the bed. Though it was more difficult without music, Yami began to dance for him, swaying his body, turning his back to him and bending slightly at the waist, wiggling his ass towards him. He reached down and lifted up his shirt, taking it off and letting it drop to the floor, turning to face Joey again and running his hands along his torso. He unbuckled his belt and pulled the button and zipper, sliding the pants down in stages while crouching, bobbing teasingly up and down like he was riding someone. Joey's eyes darkened and he grinned.

Yami raised back up and turned around, walking backwards until he was in Joey's lap, leaning back against him. Joey wrapped his arms around him, groaning as Yami rubbed against him. He growled softly and nibbled the back of Yami's neck, his hands sliding up his thighs. Yami could feel the growing erection beneath his rear, rocking from side to side and grinding into his crotch. Joey's arms tightened around him.

"Very hot," he murmured breathlessly in his ear.

Yami smiled and rose, taking the lube from the dresser drawer. Joey's fingers snuck into his underwear between his legs, tugging him back by it, his knuckles grazing his balls and sending a tingle up his spine. Joey grabbed Yami around the waist, rolling him over him into the bed and climbing on top of him. He kissed him, sliding his tongue inside to explore his mouth, fingers wandering over his body. Yami set the lube under the pillow beneath his head before running his hands along Joey's back, pulling his shirt up. Joey raised up enough to take it off and throw it to the floor before he bent his head and ran his tongue along one of Yami's nipples.

"Mm." Yami petted his fingers through Joey's hair, watching him kiss his way down his stomach.

Joey hooked his fingers into the waistband of his underwear and drew it down his legs, leaving Yami naked against the sheets. He nipped his way up one of Yami's thighs, before drawing his tongue up his erection. Yami groaned softly, closing his eyes and gripping the sheets as Joey took him into his mouth. Pleasure shivered through his body, Joey's tongue expertly running along his length, his lips gliding over the skin. He sucked at the head, making Yami shift his legs and grasp the sheets tighter, opening his eyes.

He looked down at him, watching Joey bob his head over him, one hand gripping the base and the other gripping his balls and kneading them. Yami began to pant, reaching down to rest his hand on Joey's head, pushing his other hand beneath the pillow under his head and closing his eyes again, lightly moving his hips. Moaning, he arched his back as Joey sucked harder, bobbing his head faster.

Yami came with a cry of pleasure, feeling Joey swallow before he lifted his head, crawling up his body and nuzzling him while he caught his breath. Yami turned his head and kissed his cheek then rolled on top of him, taking his mouth in a deep kiss. He ran his hands over his body, moving them down to begin undoing the fastenings to his pants. He pushed the pants and underwear down as Joey lifted his hips, working them off his ankles and tossing them to the floor. Returning to his mouth, Yami kissed him again, reaching down to tease his erection with his fingers, swallowing his moan.

"Yami," Joey breathed against his lips, his hips rising against his hand.

Yami tightened his fingers, beginning to pump him as he kissed down his throat, licking and biting before sliding further to his chest, beginning to suck on a nipple. Joey growled, his own fingers sliding into Yami's hair and holding his head, pulling him up for another kiss. Yami pumped him, pinching the neglected nipple with his other hand, Joey gasping into his mouth, breaking the kiss to drop his head against the pillow and close his eyes, rocking under him. Yami nibbled on his neck and shoulder, working his hand faster.

Joey arched off the bed with a loud growl of his name, his seed spilling against his fingers and his own stomach. He lay back, gasping for breath and trembling. Yami moved to lay at his side, resting his head on his chest as he raised his hand and idly licked his fingers. Joey groaned above him, squeezing him against him before cupping his chin and seeking his mouth out again.

Once Joey had recovered, Yami sat up to retrieve the lube from under the pillow, slicking his fingers before finding his entrance and pushing his fingers into him one by one. Joey spread his legs further, gliding his hands along Yami's body as he stretched him, watching him lower one and grasp himself, stroking himself back to full erection. Yami rubbed his prostate, smiling when Joey grunted his name again, pushing himself up on his hands to kiss him, opening his mouth for him to take over.

Withdrawing his fingers, Yami lubed his cock, Joey turning over onto his side. He spooned him, raising Joey's uppermost leg to cross it over his own hip, carefully sliding into him. Pausing for him to adjust, he drew his hands over his chest and stomach. Joey laced his fingers with his and Yami began to thrust, closing his eyes and nuzzling into his hair. Joey moaned, rolling his body and pushing back against him, wordlessly urging him faster.

Yami held onto him tight, thrusting his hips harder as Joey wanted, groaning muffled against his neck. Joey's cries overrode his, filling the bedroom.

"Oh, gods! Yami! Ah!"

Yami bit at the nape of his neck, pulling his hand from his and sliding it down over his abdomen to his cock. Joey howled, writhing faster as Yami began pumping him again, feeling his orgasm tickling at the base of his spine, but he wanted Joey to come first. The blond arched against him and yelled sharply, spilling his seed again, tightening wonderfully on Yami, who groaned and came himself, the pleasure rushing over him in a wave.

They both relaxed, panting and trembling. Yami ignored the stickiness and drew the covers over them as Joey situated his legs normally and rolled over. He kissed Yami drowsily, hugging him and soon they had both drifted off.

tbc…


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

Seto entered the Fire Room, after having wrestled with himself over the sudden desire to learn what had happened to his former classmates, wondering why he even cared. Finally he'd given in and now here he was, entering the half-full club. He crossed to the bar and ordered a brandy, asking the tender if the Duo was even scheduled to be there that night. The tender looked him over for a second before replying. If he knew who Seto was, he didn't give it away.

"You got a thing for one of them? I'll give you a fair warning; watch your step if you're after Shadow. Wildfire'll break your arm for messing with him and if you don't learn the first time, he'll break your neck."

Seto stared back at him impassively. He'd long known of Joey's temper and was sure that the tender was exaggerating for effect. He wasn't that surprised that the two of them were together either.

"Are they here or not?"

The tender shrugged like it wasn't his fault Seto was determined to do something stupid. He waved his hand dismissively. "Yeah, they're on in a few minutes."

Seto turned away and sat down at an available table, spending a minute or so fending off the dancers meandering through the patrons who were attempting to flirt with him. If he'd been a vain person, he'd be flattered by how many tried him, but as it was he was thoroughly irritated. At last his vicious put-downs seemed to get the word around and he was left alone.

At last the still-unseen man announced the start of the Duo's performance as the lights dimmed down. The curtains pulled back to reveal the leather-clad pair, this time red pants with orange tops and yellow-stenciled names. A drum-heavy song began and the two were dancing. This time, rather than dancing separately, they were dancing together.

Yami had his back to Joey, who had his arms around his waist. Yami raised his hands over his head and bobbed up and down, rubbing against Joey. He bent his knees and swung his ass from side to side, Joey grinning broadly as he raised his hands in a slow caress to his shoulders and then spun Yami around to face him. He walked forward as Yami backed up, snapping his hips back and forth to grind them together. He leaned close to him and slowly dropped to his knees, so that his face was an inch from Yami's body as he went down. He then let go of Yami and arched backwards to lay his back against his heels. Yami walked forward as he tilted so that Joey rather limboed under his legs.

Joey got to his feet, standing back to back with Yami. They began rocking together, opposite of each other, before Joey turned around and reached up to begin sliding Yami's vest down, running his fingers along his arms. He tossed it to the back of the stage, then reached around Yami's waist to his belt buckle, causing a lot of whistles and whoops as he slowly pulled down his zipper. Yami turned around to face him, causing more noise as he lifted his leg and hooked it against Joey's waist, the taller wrapping an arm around his waist and dipping Yami back.

Yami turned his torso and grabbed the pole as Joey let go, twirling around it, caressing it like a lover while Joey briefly danced alone, thrusting his hips sexually and taking off his vest. He then turned and grabbed the waistband of Yami's pants, Yami leaning foward against the pole while Joey drew his pants down his legs. Yami kicked them off, turning to put his back to the pole. Joey leaned over him, hands on the pole above Yami's head. Yami reached down and undid his pants, taking them down while at the same time sliding to his knees, making it look like he was about to give the blond oral.

As the song wound to a close, Yami got to his feet, the two caressing each other and dirty dancing. Uncommonly, it seemed they didn't strip completely naked, both still wearing tight underwear, Joey gold and Yami red. This didn't seem to bother the patrons any.

The last note hit as Joey turned Yami around, wrapping one arm around his waist and hooking the other hand against the inside of one of his thighs and Yami leaned back against him, one hand resting over top Joey's on his stomach and his other arm wrapped backwards around Joey's neck, their faces a hair's breadth from each other.

Clapping and rowdy cheers erupted through the room. Joey let go of Yami and snatched up their clothes off the stage floor before the two of them walked down the stage towards the room behind the curtains. Seto sat, drinking the last of his brandy and waiting.

After a few minutes the two of them reappeared at the door beside the stage, talking to another dancer who was a redhead with almost frighteningly black large eyes. As Seto watched, Yami abruptly went very still and turned his head. As he'd known he would, Yami sensed him and now caught Seto with his gaze, red eyes large and surprised. Joey didn't seem to notice, involved in the conversation with the redhead.

Seto looked back at Yami for a second before getting to his feet and heading over to the bar. As he ordered another brandy, Yami suddenly appeared at his elbow, looking up at him with a very guarded expression. After a slight pause he seemed to gather himself.

"What are you doing here, Kaiba?"

Amused, Seto took a drink. "I could ask you the same question."

"It's none of your business."

Seto shrugged his shoulders. "It's a long fall from Pharaoh, isn't it?"

Yami's cheeks flushed, his chin coming up. "I'm not ashamed."

Seto could read the lie in his eyes as clear as day. He smirked, taking another sip of his brandy. "Right...Shadow Flare."

Yami's color deepened and he firmly changed the subject. "When did you get back to Domino?"

"Over a week ago. And before you ask, I was brought here by a business associate. I don't frequent dumps like this."

Yami studied him intently. He still looked deeply embarrassed, whatever he'd said. Further amused by this, Seto finished off his second brandy, deciding to capitalize on this rare opportunity to mess with him.

"I'm surprised Yugi isn't your Duo half, you do everything else together."

He'd said something wrong. Yami's face hardened and he looked a mix of angry and very sad. "Aibou is incapable of that, Kaiba."

Before Seto had a chance to wonder what that meant, Joey had finally realized his stripping partner was missing. Seeing him coming, Seto decided he wasn't curious enough to endure the Brooklyn dog. He set down his glass along with some bills and left Yami standing at the bar, ducking through the crowd and out onto the street. His limo was waiting for him, but his luck didn't hold out and Joey came flying out of the club behind him.

"Kaiba! What the fuck are you doing here?"

Seto turned around as the blond came up, seeming oblivious to the cold on his bare arms, his brown eyes surveying him with a mixture of rage, confusion, and uncertainty. He stepped back up onto the curb, putting his extra height over Joey automatically. Undaunted, Joey scowled up at him. Folding his arms, Seto stared back down at him.

"It's Wildfire now, huh?"

A smirk curved his mouth as Joey blushed like Yami had. He, however, had more defiance than Yami had had and bristled. Balling his fists, he glared up at Kaiba insolently.

"I heard you were back in the city, but I'd hoped it was a rumor. Wherever you went, please go back there, we'll all be grateful."

"I'm surprised any place would hire you, Wheeler. I'm sure your AKC papers were forged when you applied, since we all know you're a mutt."

Joey growled and raised his finger, shaking it at Seto. "Fuck you, Rich Boy. Leave Yami alone and go get your kicks elsewhere. Our reasons ain't any of your business."

"You should bring Yugi into it, your patrons would probably love the dirty twin-thing."

He sidestepped Joey's attempt to punch him, laughing as he ended up punching the limo instead. Joey yelped and cradled his hand, turning to glare at Seto hatefully.

"Shut up about Yug', you bastard. I know you're a prick, but that's just fucking mean, Kaiba."

Seto opened his mouth to ask what he was babbling about when the door suddenly opened and Yami came out, holding Joey's coat. Eyes steady on Seto and face unreadable, he held it out.

"Enough. Let's go home, Joey."

Joey shrugged his coat on and put his arm around Yami's shoulders, glaring at Seto the whole time as he steered Yami around. They headed down the sidewalk, Joey still glaring at Seto over his shoulder. Yami glanced back just once and there was something in his face that made Seto certain he'd opened a fresh wound unintentionally. Frowning in puzzlement, Seto shrugged to himself and opened his limo door, directing his driver to take him home.

Once he was there, he went up to his home office and logged on to his computer, pulling up a search database on a local news website, typing in Yugi Moto. He could always trust a computer to give him the information he wanted and still wasn't sure why he'd gone to the others to find out in the first place. Mocking them about their new lives was entertaining as hell, but he'd enjoyed the years without the friendship gang plaguing him with their speeches and feelings.

The information came back and he sat in silence as he read the article dated over a year ago. According to it, an earthquake had rolled through Japan, which Seto had heard about, but what he hadn't heard was that it had damaged half of downtown Domino City.

The Kame Game Shop had lain practically on the seismic fault line. It had collapsed right on top of the Moto family.

tbc…


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four:**

**"Hey, Shadow, get up!" Joey's voice dragged Yami to consciousness as the blond practically bounced into the room, clearly fresh from a shower since he was wearing only a towel and his hair hung damp against his shoulders. **

**Yami hand-washed his face and blinked sleepily up at him. "What is the matter, Joey?"**

**"Matter? It's Thursday! We're going to see Yug'! So hurry up and get your shower, already."**

**Yami sat up while Joey left the room in the same energetic manner he had entering it. He climbed out of bed and gathered some clean clothes to take with him into the bathroom to change into after his shower, realizing that Joey was quite right: they were going to see Yugi again after so long. A mix of emotions ran through him at that thought, first and foremost anticipation. He had missed his hikari so deeply, the mind-link they continued to share unsatisfying with Yugi's current condition. He was also worried, concerned about how Yugi would act, how well he had really recovered, what he would look like. And he also felt dread at finally telling his aibou all about the new life he and Joey had. Though he knew he had nothing to be ashamed about, Yugi's possible reaction to the news weighed on his mind. **

**Joey didn't seem to share the same concerns he did, which wasn't surprising. He probably worried about how well Yugi was progressing just like Yami did, but the possibility of Yugi being different from the friend they had known didn't seem to cross his mind and Yami didn't have the heart to bring it up. They got breakfast on the go and the entire trip up to the center was spent with Joey chattering eagerly about the upcoming visit and Yami half-listening and attempting to tell himself he was being too anxious.**

**The center was a large, modern building with a pleasant facade and front garden meant to pacify visitors. It was an unassuming building, with only a simple sign out front and a main lobby that boasted of pastoral prints, soft leather seats, and fake plants. **

**"Ah, good afternoon, Mr. Moto," the receptionist greeted as he and Joey signed into the visitor's register. Yami had adopted Yugi's surname as his own some time ago, after gaining his own body. "Mr. Wheeler. Yugi has been waiting for your arrival all morning."**

**She was a pleasant-looking middle-aged woman with a demeanor that relaxed a person. She smiled as she came around the desk, holding a clipboard in her hand. As she led them to Yugi's room, she talked continuously.**

**"He's doing much better. His tests are coming back with optimistic results and he's healed nicely. Dr. Ashford thinks he'll be able to discharge him as early as next month and he'd like to talk to later about it, after you've had a chance to get reacquainted. Ah, here we are."**

**She reached up and knocked on the slightly-open door, peering into the room. "Yugi, dear, Yami and Joey are here to see you."**

**She stepped back and allowed them inside, turning and heading back down the hall. Yami entered the room with Joey on his heels, taking in his aibou.**

**Yugi lay propped up on pillows on his bed, the covers drawn up to his waist. His violet eyes gleamed as he saw them and a wide smile spread across his face. He looked almost like always.**

**But he wasn't. Yami's eyes could easily see the scar on Yugi's left cheek, three inches long and slightly curved, running towards his temple from the corner of his mouth. Another scar was visible beneath the neckline of his shirt, running along his shoulder and disappearing beneath the material. His face was pale and his spiky hair had lost much of its luster and he looked so painfully thin that Yami's chest ached at seeing him. Nevertheless, he forced a smile onto his face and walked up, sitting down on the edge of the bed at Yugi's side.**

"**Aibou, how are you?"**

**Yugi leaned forward and Yami met his hug, carefully controlling his strength. Yugi felt like bones in his arms and he wondered how the nurse could have dared say he was healed? Yugi pulled away and hugged Joey as well, who was sitting on the other side of his bed and seemed to understand the need to be gentle, since he didn't embrace Yugi with his usual force or dig his knuckles into his hair. His brightness had evaporated quickly and he was somber.**

"**I feel a lot better, Yami," Yugi said. His voice was hoarse, but strong and cheery. "How are you guys?"**

"**Great, Yug'," Joey said, flashing a smile. "Yami and I are doing fine, it's you we were worried about. I wish we could have come and seen ya sooner."**

"**So do I, but Dr. Ashford wouldn't allow it. But he did say that I could probably come home next month." Yugi looked at Yami as if in need of confirmation or approval.**

**Yami reached out and lifted up one of Yugi's hands, feeling how thin and cold his fingers seemed. "Of course, Aibou. If you're ready, nothing would make us happier than to have you home again."**

**Yugi smiled again, even more vibrantly than he had previously. "Good. I don't want to be here anymore."**

**The other two were silent. There wasn't much to be said. Yugi had spent the past eleven months here because he'd had to. He'd had a very long and difficult road to recovery and Yami knew it wasn't over yet, even after all of this time. Still, seeing him had relieved much of Yami's anxiety. Yugi still looked ill and weak, but he was clearly mentally healthy and, if not happy, at least positive. **

"**Let me see this, Yug'," Joey said, reaching out to take Yugi's chin in his fingers and gently turn his head. His eyes studied the scar on Yugi's face. "Hey, that's not that bad. Look at that, you take a beating and you're still prettier than me."**

**Yugi laughed, the sound good in Yami's ears. Joey's joking might have seemed inappropriate to someone else, but Yugi clearly had improved enough to be able to find at least fleeting humor in the situation. The fingers of Yugi's other hand reached up and lightly touched the scar.**

"**It isn't that bad?"**

**//No, Aibou,// Yami said firmly, taking the chance and opening their link again. He hadn't in the all time Yugi had been here, except in one instance that had been disastrous. //You look as you have ever done.//**

**/Not quite./ But Yugi said it simply and without either depression or rancor and didn't seem upset that Yami had connected with his mind again. His hand dropped back to the bed and the other squeezed Yami's fingers. /I've missed you so much./**

**//As I've missed you. Having you home again will be wonderful.//**

"**Excuse me."**

**They glanced up. A fairly young man was peering into the room, dressed in white doctor's clothes and holding a clipboard, a stethoscope around his neck. He was Dr. Ashford, as Yami remembered. The man smiled.**

"**If I'm not interrupting, I'd like to speak to you."**

"**You go," Joey said. "I'm gonna stay with Yug'."**

**Yami knew he didn't want to leave Yugi alone again and he stood, letting go of Yugi's hand. Carefully closing their link, he followed the doctor out into the hallway. Dr. Ashford led him a short distance away, stopping before a window that looked out onto the back of the property, showing a nice view of tree-covered hills whose leaves were beginning to turn. **

"**Hello, Dr. Ashford," Yami said. "Thank you again for all you've done for Yugi."**

"**Of course. Mr. Moto--"**

"**Yami, please."**

"**Yami. I wanted to talk to you in private because I have some good news and some bad news and I didn't want to upset Yugi."**

**Yami nodded, trying to keep himself from dreading what he had to say. "Yes?"**

"**First the good news. Yugi has recovered very well from what he'd endured. As I explained to you the last time we talked, it wasn't only physical treatment he was receiving here at Shintaka."**

**Yami nodded again. He knew what Dr. Ashford was referring to. After what had happened, the doctor had been concerned with Yugi's state of mind and though Yami knew his hikari's strength and believed in his recovery, he'd had his own uneasiness and had agreed to psychiatric counseling for Yugi along with everything else. It had proven necessary, and he was relieved to hear that it had gone well. Yugi had seemed much more like himself than the last time Yami had seen him, which had been a long time ago, as the doctor had insisted that it would be best for Yugi to sever ties until he'd completed his counseling. It had been the hardest thing Yami had ever had to do, but he had, talking to Yugi only a couple of times over the phone since. **

**The doctor went on, glancing down once at the clipboard he was holding in his hand. Yami knew it was Yugi's medical chart.**

"**Well, I'm happy to tell you that he seems to be completely in acceptance with what happened. I see no cause for concern about Post Traumatic Stress or manic depression. I don't even see the need to prescribe any antidepressants, however I will give you a prescription to take with you if you think Yugi does need them along the road. I'll also give you the name, phone, and address of a psychiatrist friend of mine who would be more than happy to help if you think Yugi needs it."**

**He reached into his pocket and withdrew a card, turning it over to write the information down. He then filled out a small form on his clipboard and tore off the top sheet, handing both over. Yami accepted them and put them in his pocket, though he hoped he'd never have need to use either.**

"**Don't hesitate to call either Dr. Wright or myself for anything. I'd like to keep Yugi here at least a little longer to run a few more tests, but if everything remains as it is now, I think I can send him home as early as the sixteenth. Is that good?"**

**Yami nodded eagerly. "Of course. Any time is fine, we'll be here to bring Yugi home."**

"**Good. Now, for Yugi's physical recovery. As you can see, his mental faculties are the same as they've ever been. We've run all our tests and can find not the slightest evidence of brain damage or memory loss or anything else of the sort. Yugi's body has healed and the only thing that remains is physical therapy to help him recover his strength. I'd like to assign a therapist to come over starting three times a week to help Yugi go through his exercises. However, if you'd prefer to do them yourself, we can teach either you or Mr. Wheeler or both to do them."**

"**I'll have to talk to Yugi about that."**

"**Of course. Now comes the bad news, or, at best, not happy news. As you know, Yugi sustained extensive nerve and spinal damage in the incident. He's on pain medication that he will have to take maybe for the rest of his life. He's gone through his surgeries and there remain a couple more scheduled for later in the year, but the pain in his back may not be fixable. And as I've already told you, he's--"**

"**Paralyzed," Yami finished quietly.**

**tbc…**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five:**

**"Hey, Seto!"**

**Seto glanced up as his younger brother came into the office. Mokuba had grown up while they had been abroad, now nineteen and getting ready for the college semester he would start in January. He had taken off the past semester to help Seto with the difficulties that had arisen getting a marketing distribution in Italy but now was ready to head out next month. Mokuba looked more like Seto than he ever had before, having grown to a height just a couple inches below his own and filled out to a build more broad. His face had lost its childishness and though he kept his hair long, he know wore it continuously in a slightly more professional ponytail down his back. Right then he was wearing a black suit with a navy tie.**

**One thing had never changed was his enthusiastic greeting to his older brother. Seto smiled and turned away from his computer. **

**"What is it, Mokuba?"**

**"Would you be too crushed if I canceled lunch?" Mokuba grinned in a way that clearly showed he seriously doubted Seto would be, which was true. "Marianne's grandmother isn't coming today so I was going to fly--"**

**"Go do whatever you want."**

**Marianne was Mokuba's girlfriend whom he had met in England and a very serious relationship it was. She was following him to college and Seto wouldn't be surprised if they announced engagement before long. Even if Mokuba wasn't canceling on him for a girl, he wouldn't be hurt to have himself ditched. Mokuba's grin brightened for a second before he leaned forward slightly and looked stern. Now that he was a man, his glare matched Seto's perfectly in strength and though he was still much nicer and more well-liked than his brother, he now had his own reputation as a man not to be crossed with. **

**"Okay, but I don't want you skipping lunch and working through the day again."**

**"I forgot when it was you became the older brother...?"**

**"Come on, Seto, please go out and get something to eat. If you don't promise, I'll tell Marianne you want to come eat with us."**

**Seto frowned at that; it was a good threat. Seto had no real problems with her, but Marianne was a woman to whom family was extremely important and whose merry attitude wasn't easily discouraged. Also, as she was his brother's girlfriend, Seto couldn't talk to her the way he would anyone else. If Mokuba made good his threat, Seto would have to endure her relentless coaxing to join them until he either lost it and yelled her into tears and made Mokuba hate him or until he gave in and went with them. Being a third wheel on Mokuba's date was something he hoped never to experience so he did the only thing he could and made his promise. **

**"Good." Mokuba straightened up with a grin. Seto glared at him, which did nothing to faze him. He'd grown beyond Seto's ability to intimidate him. "Well, I'll see ya later then, Seto."**

**"'Bye, Mokuba."**

**Seto kept his promise and left the office at one in order to get himself some lunch. He paused for a second, frowning at a white van parked across the street. That van had been there that morning. But even as he watched a uniformed worker walked out of the office and got into the passenger side. The van drove away.**

**His limo driver headed down the street in the restaurant district and he suddenly spotted Yami sitting alone at an outdoor cafe table. He could tell he was alone as there was only one plate and cup on the table. That curiosity stung him again and he frowned before telling his driver to pull over. He got out of the backseat and grabbed his briefcase.**

**"I'll call you when I want you to pick me up."**

**"Yes, sir."**

**He drove off and Seto headed over to the table. Yami looked up at him, surprised. **

**"Kaiba. What are you doing here?"**

**Seto reached into the inside coat pocket where he'd stuffed them a couple days before and withdrew the two sheets of paper. He unfolded them and laid them one by one on the table in front of Yami. They were a pair of internet newspaper stories that he had printed. The first headline read: Local Celebrity's House Demolished with a picture of the rubble that had once been the Kame Game Shop and the second read: Yugi Moto, World Champion, Disappears with an old picture of Yugi that had been taken during Seto's Grand Prix. Neither article went into detail about what had happened to Yugi, though it was obvious Yugi's family had perished.**

**Yami looked down at the articles for several seconds before suddenly grabbing them up. He began tearing them into pieces in a series of jerky movements, punctuating each tear with words.**

**"I am...not...going to tell...you anything!" He threw the pieces of paper at Seto. "You are sinking to a low I didn't think even you were capable of, Kaiba!"**

**Startled by this outburst, Seto frowned at him. "You're making a scene."**

**Yami glanced to the side, where there were indeed a few people looking surreptitiously, and some staring outright. Seto glared at them and the few staring looked away, but everyone was still paying attention. Yami stood up, nearly knocking his chair over. He started away, but Seto grabbed his arm.**

"**Stop. I don't know--"**

"**Let go." Yami yanked his arm out of his grasp and Seto let him. He glared up at him suspiciously. "Why do you want to know? You have never shown any inclination of caring for anyone."**

**"I suppose giving me the benefit of the doubt is out of the question?" At Yami's silent stare, Seto shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever, I was just curious. But I'm not going to stand here and beg if that's what you're after. So--"**

**"Aibou and his family were there in the Game Shop that night," Yami said with a sigh, sitting back down. Seto had to stop a snort; the friendship gang was so predictable. Turning their accusations of being rude and uncaring back on them always got what he wanted. He deigned himself to sit at the table, letting Yami continue. "I was there as well, but I got off lucky. I broke my leg, a couple of ribs, my collarbone... But Aibou's family was crushed and so was he. He survived, they didn't. Amid Aibou's other injuries, his spine cord was partially severed. He's paralyzed."**

**Seto sat there in silence. It was a lot worse than he had thought. He didn't particularly like Yugi anymore than he did any of the others, but that was a horrible thing to have happened. He knew what it was like to lose parents.**

**"How bad is it?"**

**"Aibou can move his legs a little, but doesn't have strength or mobility enough to walk or even stand and feeling stops below his knees. Something the doctor said about the injury being low on his spine, but still paralyzing."**

**Yami looked down at the remains of his lunch, his expression tormented. Seto watched him for a moment. Finally he pushed him.**

**"But why is he...disappeared?"**

**Yami looked up at him, frowning. "He's at a rehabilitation hospital. I don't understand your concern, Kaiba."**

**Seto shrugged and got to his feet, picking up his briefcase. "I was curious and now I'm not."**

**Yami stared at him before looking away and shrugging. He picked up his glass and took another drink, a smile appearing on his face that looked forced. "Aibou will be coming home in a couple of weeks."**

**"Hm."**

**Seto had gotten what he wanted. He knew what had happened now, and he needed to get his lunch and return to work. Yami got up abruptly and stalked away down the street before he could even leave the table himself. Seto turned and watched Yami's rapidly retreating back before turning and calling for his limo.**

**tbc…**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six:**

**Yami entered the apartment just in time to catch the ringing phone. He grabbed it up and pushed it to his ear, knowing that it could be the hospital about Yugi and it was.**

**"Mr. Moto? This is the Shintaka Center. When is the soonest you can come here?"**

**Fear gripped Yami's chest. "Right away. I can be there in--"**

**"No, no! Oh, honey, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. Yugi is fine. It's just, I'm sorry, but I've gotten rather attached to him and I'm so happy to tell you there's good news, though I can't explain it over the phone. Dr. Ashford would like to tell you in person, so, when can you come to talk to him?"**

**Yami let out a breath in relief. "It's all right. I can be there tomorrow. Anytime."**

**"Good. Dr. Ashford will have you at twelve-thirty."**

**"That's fine. I'll be there, thank you."**

**He hung up the phone and then looked around the apartment, not sure what to do now. He wanted to know what the news was about his hikari. It was good, so he was no longer worried, but he was still curious. Good news, what could that mean for Yugi? **

**"Hey, Yami, what's up?" Joey had arrived at the apartment without his knowing, tossing down his keys and taking off his jacket. "You've got this real, I don't know, upset look on your face." He suddenly stepped forward, looking worried. "Is it Yug'? What--"**

**"Yugi is fine, Joey. The hospital called. They want me to go up there tomorrow at twelve-thirty to discuss some news that they have. Good news, they said."**

**"Good news? Great! What is it?"**

**"The nurse couldn't tell me, she said the doctor had to."**

**"Ah, man, nice to get us worked up and then say they can't say anything."**

**Yami smiled for he understood that perfectly. To change the subject, he headed to the refrigerator and took out a pair of soda cans. He tossed one and said, "I talked with Kaiba today."**

**"What?" Joey snapped the tab and scowled. "What the hell did that bastard want?"**

**"To talk about Aibou."**

**"Why? He doesn't give a shit."**

**"He said he did. He found out somehow, on his computer."**

**"Did you tell him?"**

**"Yes. He asked, so I did."**

**"Why, Yami? You don't owe that dick anything. I guarantee if he was curious, it was only so that he could gloat. He hates Yug', you know that. Hates him and you 'cause you two beat him. I swear, if I find out he went out to the center just to taunt Yug'--"**

**"Joey, I know that you hate Kaiba and I agree, but I don't think he would do something like that. He is spiteful and rude, but outright cruel is not something I would expect of him. If anything...he doesn't care."**

**"See? That's so much better." Joey took a gulp of his soda and coughed from the carbonation. "Gods, I hate that bastard. He was gone for five years, why didn't he just stay away? Make us all happy. Anyway, if he bothers you again, tell me and I'll kick his ass for real."**

**Yami smiled as Joey threatened Kaiba as he always did. "It doesn't matter about Kaiba. Come with me tomorrow?"**

**"Hell, yeah. For one, Shadow, you can't drive."**

**Yami nodded and finished his soda, setting the can down on the counter. "True."**

**"Man, I want to know what this good news is. Do you think Yug'll be able to walk again?"**

**"Joey, that's very far-fetched."**

**"I know, I know. But what else could it be?"**

**"That Aibou could be coming home tomorrow." Yami suddenly straightened up, horrified. "We're not ready, not even for two weeks from now. How will Aibou get up the stairs?"**

**Joey's expression now matched his. "Oh, man! How could we not have thought of that?" He waved his hand in a catch-all gesture. "We need, like a ramp or an elevator or something for him to use. Probably an elevator, 'cause I don't think the apartment's big enough for a ramp. It's got to go up slow enough for Yug' to roll up it."**

**Yami knew he meant the incline grade had to be low and he also doubted the apartment had enough room for that, even if they made it a U-ramp with a landing. Joey was looking around gloomily, their joy at Yugi coming home dampened by the fact that they weren't ready. **

**"An elevator will be quite expensive," Yami said broodingly. "He already has two more surgeries scheduled and the monthly payment to the center is due tomorrow, our rent on the first, and the electric bill on the eighth. We don't have the money for the elevator or even a ramp."**

**"Hey, come on, Yami, don't get upset just yet," Joey said. He walked over and wrapped an arm around Yami's shoulders. "We'll figure something out. I'll go over the books again tonight and I'm sure we can find some extra money. The rent we have to pay out full but maybe the center'll let us pay a minimum and I know we can on the electric bill."**

**Yami told himself to relax. Joey handled their checkbook balancing and paying their bills. Yami had no legal existence in the world and couldn't get things like checkbooks and credit cards. Everything was in Joey's name. Joey would find the extra money if there was some to be had. If not, he'd find some other way of getting the money. He could try to pick up extra shifts at the club or better yet, get another job. His application was completely faked, but a low-paying job was a lot less likely to check than something high. Even a small amount of extra money would be a help.**

**"Better? Don't you worry." Joey rubbed his arm then let him go. "I've got it, Shadow, I promise. You just concentrate on making Yugi feel like he never left."**

**Joey walked out of the room and Yami sat down at the kitchen table, trying to make himself feel more at ease. He should focus on Yugi and let Joey handle the money. Though the truth could not be avoided that Joey could be a bit oblivious and superficial, but when something was important to him, he gave it his all. Yami knew he could trust him. **

**He hesitated, then opened his link with Yugi, cautiously contacting him. He hadn't before now, but finally visiting Yugi had given him comfort that his hikari was doing better.**

**//Aibou?//**

**He felt Yugi's surprise followed by an immediate flush of happiness. /Yami!/**

**//Hello, Aibou. How are you doing?//**

**/Fine. You?/**

**Yami could tell from his tone of voice that he didn't know about whatever news Yami was supposed to learn tomorrow. He kept that knowledge from him, not wanting to get him worked up without knowing what it was they were getting worked up about. **

**//We're fine. I'm coming in tomorrow.//**

**/Really? That's great! I'll be happy to see you!/**

**//I'll be happy to see you, too.//**

**/Why are you coming, though?/ Yugi asked. /I didn't think I was coming home until the sixteenth./**

**Yami managed to come up with an excuse that was at least half-truth. //I'm coming to talk to Dr. Ashford. We need to figure out what it is that we're to, um, expect. The apartment needs to be modified, and--//**

**A wave of sadness rolled over him from Yugi. /I'm sorry, Mou Hitori no Boku. I know I'm putting a lot of pressure on you./**

**//Please don't be apologize, Aibou. If anything, I'm sorry. I've...I mean, I'm still--//**

**He broke off, unable to finish his sentence. How could he explain appropriately how guilty he felt, being not only alive, but whole? He had gained his body only for Yugi to lose his.**

**Yugi's mental voice sounded almost in tears. /No, don't you apologize! Yami, I don't blame you. You got hurt, too, but you were just lucky. I'm glad you're not dead or paralyzed! I'd feel worse if you were./ Yugi suddenly forced cheerfulness into his voice. /But you're not! And I'll be coming home./**

**//Yes, you will. We will have the apartment ready for you, Aibou.// He suddenly had to end the conversation. //I'll see you tomorrow.//**

**/It'll be all right, Yami./**

**Yami blinked, realizing that he was being offered comfort when he had been trying to do that himself for Yugi. Yugi's determination to find happiness again, to return to normal after all that had happened, was helping him to feel stronger. It was Yugi who needed the help, not him. He smiled and sent a wave of reassurance down to his hikari. //Yes, it will. Goodnight, Aibou.//**

**/Goodnight./**

**tbc…**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven:

Seto picked up the phone as it rang, snapping on his bedside table with his other hand, growling angrily as he saw that his alarm clock read one-thirty-six.

"Who the hell is calling me at this time?" he demanded into the phone.

"I see you're not very gracious in the wee hours of the morning, Mr. Kaiba," a deep, gravelly voice said. It was familiar, but not immediately obvious. Where had he heard it before? "You're a lot like your father, which is strange, since you're adopted."

"Do I know you?" Seto growled. "Answer quick, I'm hanging up."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," the voice said silkily. "It would be a very bad judgment on your part, and I know you don't make bad judgments. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Hiroshi Takanawa. Do you remember now?"

Seto paused, thinking. "The name is familiar, but that's it."

"Ah. Well, I'll jog your memory, then. Your father and I were great friends. His company and my company were after the same...goals, shall we say? Last time I saw you, you were only about thirteen. You've grown up. I'm sorry it's been so long and I haven't gotten in contact with you. I've been...tied up for a while. But now that I'm free again, I've been doing some planning. Not to mention it makes it a lot easier for you to be an adult."

Seto sat up more against his headboard. This did not sound good. "Why is that?"

"I lost a great deal of money and influence when you took over Kaiba Corp. and pushed your father to his death, Seto. It's taken quite some time to gain it back and I still don't have the territory that you do with your new...gaming company."

He said the word gaming as if it were the filthiest curse. Under Gozaburo, the corporation had been a company that made weapons of war. Whoever this Takanawa was, he most likely made similar things and was also most likely of the same type of man as Gozaburo had been. Seto scowled, now more than ever happy to hang up the phone.

"It's been great catching up. What the hell do you want?"

"Old wrongs need to be righted."

"I get it, you're threatening me. But if your company or whatever it is you have now doesn't have the same strength as my own, why should I fear you?"

"Because I won't come after your company, I'll just come after your younger brother. He's gotten quite a bit bigger, but you can't get big enough to stop a bullet to the head."

Seto was silent for a long moment. If this Takanawa was going to fight that dirty, then there wasn't much Seto could do to stop him. Threatening to destroy him financially wasn't going to upset him, apparently he'd already unwittingly done that. Threatening to kill him probably wouldn't stop him either. He would just attempt to make sure he wasn't the only one who died and Seto couldn't risk being able to get the first hit.

"You want my company?"

"After what you've done to it? You've made it a disgrace. Toys for children. Maybe you're not so much like Gozaburo after all."

"Thank you."

Takanawa snorted over the phone. "Here's what I do want, retribution. I want you so far in the mud that trying to take me down'll do nothing but drag you down with me. I want to have power over you, kid. I know how much you enjoy it when people have something over you."

Seto gripped the phone until his knuckles were white. "Or you'll kill Mokuba, is that right?"

"I'll start with that pretty little sweetheart of his. And when he finds her head sitting on his pillow, I'll make sure he knows that the reason she's dead is because you made mistakes."

"I don't even know who you are."

"That doesn't matter to me. You should have left well enough alone. After Marianne, then I'll kill Mokuba. If he's lucky, I'll make it quick. Then it'll be your turn, Seto. What do you say?"

Seto would just have to agree for now. Whatever it was that Takanawa wanted he could pretend to do while he find out who he was and where he was and ended it.

"I say, I'm still waiting for you to tell me what you want me to do."

"I want you to be my lapdog, kid. You'll obey my orders and fetch what I tell you to."

"You know that's more the Mutt's territory."

"What?" It had slipped out of Seto's mouth before he'd thought. "I don't have the patience for more of your wisecracks, smartass. There's been a rumor for quite some time that you stole the Blue Eyes White Dragon card from that little Yugi Moto kid that got smooshed last year. So you're already okay with stealing. That's good, because you're going to be my own personal thief."

This was ludicrous. "You want me to steal. Why not just have me give you the money that--"

"I already explained that. Are you really as smart as everyone says you are? I don't want your money, because then you can just go to the police and whine that I'm extorting from you. You're going to have your hands dirty, too."

"It's not like they've been all that clean for a while."

Takanawa chuckled. "Yes, I know all about your business dealings. Are you going to behave or do I have to cut Marianne up a bit?"

Seto was silent for a second. He had no real attachment to Marianne, but his brother did. The mere fact that Takanawa knew his brother's girlfriend's name indicated he was not only serious, but knowledgeable. He wasn't kidding. Seto didn't know what he was up against or how far Takanawa's power really extended. Even attempting to just get his brother out of harm's way might not be wise. Takanawa could have people sitting on him right now, ready to blow up his car if Seto tried to call him or have someone follow him to Kaiba Corp's tarmac and shoot him in the back when he was boarding the plane. For now, he was stuck.

"This is rather sudden."

"I've been planning it for a long time, I assure you."

Seto suddenly remembered the uniformed worker and the van across the street the day before. So Takanawa did have goons on his side, watching him, taking down his schedule. They or others were probably watching Mokuba and Marianne as well. This was no half-assed attempt at revenge. He had clearly indeed been planning this.

"Then I guess letting all that planning go to waste would be a shame."

"I'm glad you see it my way. I told you I didn't think you made bad decisions. Having you at my beck and call is going to be amusing. So here's your first job, lapdog. The Domino Museum has a necklace called the Corvo Diamond on display."

Seto closed his eyes. What had happened? He'd gone to bed one of the richest, most secure men in the world and now he was going to be attempting to steal jewelry for a madman? This was what bad action movies were made of.

"Got it. Where do I--"

"An associate of mine will be on hand to pick it up for me."

So he wasn't dumb enough to walk into Seto's office himself. Damn. "How long do I have?"

"Let's say Friday at midnight."

That was two days from now. "Fine by me."

"One more thing. Don't even think about trying to jump the country. You have no idea where my men are. Have a goodnight, Mr. Kaiba."

"Fuck you, too."

Seto slammed the phone down. Probably not the smartest thing to do, but he didn't care. What the hell? How was he going to get out of this? He didn't know where Takanawa was. And now he had two days to find out how to steal a diamond from the museum. What was he, James Bond? Even if he could break into the security computers at the museum and override them, walking into the museum still posed dangers. There would be guards wandering around. He wouldn't be able to get their rotation schedules from a computer, that was most likely on a notice board in their common room.

Seto slid down the headboard until he was lying normally on the bed and put his hands over his face, trying to block out everything and think hard. There had to be a way around this, there always was. Maybe he could just spend the two days looking for Takanawa and then have one of his goons kill him. That would be the most practical choice, but likely more than not he would run out of time before he found him. Takanawa would be taking measures not to be found. And there was always the possibility his own goons would kill Seto's family just for the hell of it.

Maybe he could trick him. But the only way he could think to do that would be to copy the diamond and give him a fake. That had problems of its own since Takanawa would likely want some proof and would only have to walk into the museum and see the real diamond still on display to know Seto had cheated him.

Takanawa was hoping he would mess up and get taken the jail, that was obvious. Just killing him wasn't going to make him happy, he wanted him ruined first, or else he would have just shot Seto like he said he could.

Fuck, now what would he do?

A sudden idea occurred to him, popping out of nowhere and making him wonder about his sanity. There was no way...was there?


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight:

Yami shut the car door and glanced up at the center sprawling in front of him. Joey came around the car and looked down at him, giving him a worried smile. Yami nodded and together they ascended the few steps and entered the building, heading over to the registration desk.

"Ah, good morning!" It was the same nurse who had seen them before and who had called Yami yesterday. "I'm glad you could make it, I know Wednesdays aren't usually good for people. Dr. Ashford will be a few minutes if you'd like to go and see Yugi. He's already awake and waiting for you in his room."

"Thanks," Joey said.

They headed to Yugi's room and he was indeed waiting on them, sitting up propped against his pillows and smiling. A new addition to the room was in the form of a tall, white curtain drawn over Yugi, bisecting his body at his stomach.

"What's that for?" Joey asked by way of greeting.

"No idea," Yugi said. "Rosie, my nurse, says Dr. Ashford will explain when he gets here."

"How are you, Aibou?" Yami asked, walking forward and sitting on the edge of the bed in front of the curtain.

"I'm good. Looking forward to coming home."

"Yeah, we'll have the place all ready for you," Joey said as he sat on the other side of the bed. "I've missed seeing your smile, Yug'. Yami over there is so quiet it's like living with a cat."

Yugi laughed while Yami allowed a smile. Joey was teasing and trying to act like everything was normal, which was what Yugi needed. What they all needed.

"Aw, Mou Hitori no Boku can't be that bad," Yugi said.

"I guess not. Oh!" Joey had glanced at his watch. "I didn't realize we were that late getting here. Sorry, Yug', but I've got to make a call, get back with the contractor for the apartment. Excuse me."

He stood up, pulling his cell phone out of his jacket pocket and leaving the room. Yugi looked after him, his expression solemn. Yami studied his face.

"What's the matter, Aibou?"

"Joey's changed," Yugi said quietly. "Setting up appointments with a contractor? It's not like him. He's--Er, I mean--"

"I know what you mean," Yami said. //He has changed. He's grown up. He handles the financials, he's the one who bought the car, got us jobs--//

/Oh, yeah! You were going to tell me what you two do. Is it cool, can I come and see where you work?/

Yami nearly blanched. It had slipped out, but thankfully he was saved by Dr. Ashford arriving. The doctor came into the room after knocking on the doorframe, holding his clipboard and making a note on it.

"Sorry about the wait. Good morning, Misters Moto. How are we doing today, Yugi?"

"Good, Dr. Ashford."

"Good, good. I'm sure you're wondering what the curtain is for. Yami, if you could come down here a moment."

He stopped at the foot of the bed, hidden behind the curtain. Yami stood and went around to stand next to him, closing his link with Yugi because the curtain seemed intended to hide them from his view, though he didn't know why. Dr. Ashford pulled a strange instrument from his pocket; it looked like a pizza slicer with five dull spikes sticking out in a radial. Yami surveyed it in silence.

"All right, Yugi, here we go," Dr. Ashford said.

He reached down and pushed back the sheets, revealing Yugi's feet. They looked the same as they ever had and Yami felt a pang at that, as he knew they didn't work. Dr. Ashford drew the instrument along the underside of Yugi's left foot, but his hikari didn't react. Nodding, Dr. Ashford made a note on his clipboard before drawing the instrument along Yugi's right foot, looking to be pressing harder. Still there was no reaction and Yami felt his heart sink. Was Dr. Ashford only showing them physically that Yugi would never walk again?

"What are you doing?" Yugi asked from behind the curtain, sounding anxious.

"Just once more, Yugi," Dr. Ashford said soothingly.

"Once more wh--Ouch!"

Dr. Ashford had drawn the instrument across Yugi's right foot again, much harder this time. Yami could see the impression of the points in his skin. But more than that, Yugi had yelped and jerked his leg. It was a feeble movement, but he had done it. Gasping, Yami hurried around the curtain, seeing the shock and wonder on Yugi's face.

Dr. Ashford came around the curtain, smiling and returning the instrument to his pocket before jotting another note on his clipboard.

"How badly did that hurt?" he asked.

"I don't know, like when you step on a rock," Yugi said. "Maybe not that bad...but, does that mean--?"

"Don't get your hopes up, Yugi," Dr. Ashford warned. "There's no guarantee, but Rosie noticed a couple of occasions of reflex in Yugi's legs when she was helping him with his exercises and the fact that sensation continues as low as the knees indicates less extensive damage than we first thought. We have, of course, performed tests like these before, and you did mention some pain, Yugi."

"I just thought I was imagining it," Yugi said. "It was so faint."

"So did we, at first. We've been keeping a log of your recovery and tracing down the possibility of your being able to walk again. Naturally, that's what we want. Your next surgery will be the decisive one. Initially the surgeries were only to, forgive me for being blunt, keep you from dying. In this next one, we'll be attempting to remove the bone spur that's still sticking into the spinal cord and to graft it back together. But you know that is difficult and delicate procedure. I brought you here today to--"

He broke off as Joey slipped back in through the open doorway, looking sheepish. "Sorry. I was listening, but I wanted to be in here."

Yugi smiled and Dr. Ashford continued. "To explain to you the roads this can take. You need to know, Yugi, that the surgery could in fact make your condition worse. We will be cutting the bone spur out. We can't let it stay there any longer, because even a mild jar to your back could break it off and send it into your blood stream or the spinal fluid, causing more problems and even death. Sending you home will almost guarantee such a jar, in the natural course of living. For your own good, I have to stress that the possibility of being able to walk again is about twenty percent."

Yugi nodded slowly. Yami and Joey sat down on the sides of his bed again, Yami taking Yugi's hand in his. Twenty percent did not sound good at all. On the other hand, Yugi had beaten the odds at surviving and at recovering even as much as he had. They couldn't give up hope completely.

"Now for the other chance. Yugi, if the bone spur comes out without any problem and the grafting goes well, we'll be needing some more tests, but you could gain limited mobility. Right now you can move your legs along a surface about twelve percent of movement range, but no more than that and you can't lift them at all. If, after the surgery, you're mobility improves, then we can begin talking about another procedure. It's known as a shock chip and how it works is that it's grafted onto your spinal below where the injury took place and linked to the frequency of another chip that would, in fact, be grafted onto the movement control center of your brain."

Yami looked at Dr. Ashford quickly. Chips in Yugi's brain? He didn't like the sound of that. "Wouldn't that be dangerous?"

"Yes," Dr. Ashford said frankly. "Anything involving the brain is dangerous. What the two chips would do is align Yugi's natural synaptic orders to move his legs and give the nerves below the damaged area an electric boost. It's about the same as the hardwiring it takes to move a robot by remote control. I'm sorry for that comparison, Yugi, but that's the easiest that I can explain it. The chip in your brain would give the one on your spine the orders. The one on your spine would mimic the synaptic processes that your body would do normally that was interrupted by the damage to your spinal cord and move your legs. Granted, this would have its limits. You would be able to walk, but probably not run and until you get your strength back, the walking itself would be limited in how long you could endure it. You would have to have monthly check-ups to ensure the hardware is working to capacity and there is always the possibility of failure. I want to give you options, but also to be realistic. The most likely event is that you'll be confined to the wheelchair."

Yugi took a deep breath and let it out. "I don't know what to say."

"There's no need to be thinking about a decision right now. The surgery has to come first before we can even begin thinking about the other procedure. I've told you now in order for you to begin thinking about the financial aspect of it. I won't sugarcoat it, the procedure would cost a great deal."

Yami bit his bottom lip. Money, of course. He and Joey were barely earning enough for Yugi as it was. This chip-system sounded like it would cost thousands of dollars. They would never be able to afford it. Only because Yugi's family had had life insurance policies and there had been insurance on the Game Shop were they even making it now. Yugi's previous surgeries had already eaten up the insurance money and his stay at the rehabilitation center took about sixty percent of their combined paychecks. There simply wasn't any way they could pay for the operation.

"I need to go," Dr. Ashford said, looking at his watch. "I have another consultation and you need to get some lunch, Yugi. You have a lot to think about, but I want you eating. It's almost two. As for your release, I see no problem with having you home on the sixteenth. If you need anything, have a message sent for me."

"Thanks, doctor," Yugi said and Dr. Ashford nodded, smiling and leaving the room.

"Wow," Joey said. "Chips? What do you think about that, Yug'?"

Yugi shook his head slightly, moving back the covers from his legs. He was wearing what looked like the center's version of pajamas rather than the backless dresses hospitals used. It was hard to tell beneath the material of the pants, but Yami was sure that Yugi's legs were little more than skin and bones. He had been off his feet for a year.

"I don't know," Yugi said. "Putting things into my brain sounds..." He made a helpless gesture. "Scary. But if it would work..."

He suddenly levered himself up with his hands and Yami realized he was moving himself to the wheelchair that was parked beside his bed. Yami got off to give him the room, standing awkwardly and unsure if he was supposed to help or not. The bed was a low one, making the transition to the chair minor. Yugi leaned over alarmingly and grabbed the farthest armrest, bracing himself as he slid his body with the other arm. He reached behind himself and grabbed the other armrest once he was at the very edge of the bed and lowered himself down. His legs thunked uselessly and Yami winced.

"Let's get something to eat," Yugi said without acknowledging the looks on his friends' faces. "Want to join me in the cafeteria?"

"Yeah, Yug'," Joey said with a forced smile. "How's the food in this joint?"

"Not bad." Yugi took of the chair's brakes and wheeled himself over to the open doorway and the others followed.

Yami was feeling distinctly awkward and uncomfortable walking beside Yugi as he wheeled himself. He hadn't realized Yugi had recovered quite this much, maneuvering his chair deftly and clearly familiar with the layout of the center. If Yugi was this healthy, why had the doctor not sent him home earlier? He had thought the year was necessary for Yugi, but if it hadn't been, Yami would have been much happier to have him home.

"Hey, Joey, what did the contractor have to say?" Yugi asked abruptly.

"Oh, yeah. I've got us an elevator for the apartment. Get this: there's a new type of elevator called a vacuum elevator. It runs on pressurized air and its free-standing so there's no messing with putting holes in anything, except the landing for the stairs. It also has an emergency kick-back in case of a power failure so it won't drop or anything like that. Takes about eight hours to install and it's about twenty grand."

Yugi's chair stopped so abruptly that Yami nearly ran into him. Yugi looked at Joey in horror. "Twenty thousand dollars?"

"Yug', that's cheap. The normal elevators are like a hundred grand. Don't you worry about the money, damn it."

"But, but twenty thousand--"

"I said, don't worry about the money. Money doesn't matter, Yug', you do. The contractor's gonna be putting the elevator in on Friday and that's final."

Yugi looked up at Yami as if pleading for him to talk some sense into Joey. Yami thought it sounded like an awful lot of money himself, but Joey was right, it was Yugi's health and convenience that mattered.

"Aibou, Joey knows what he's doing. If he thinks we can afford it, we can."

"Yug', I'm getting hungry," Joey said in a warning tone that was meant to change the subject. "Where's that cafeteria?"

Yugi looked unconvinced, but he started wheeling himself forward again and they walked with him. The cafeteria was a very large room that would have eaten their apartment lying on its side whole and had room left over. Yami's discomfort grew; the room was filled with people with various degrees of physical disability, most tended to by families or nurses. Yugi wheeled over to one of the few empty tables and after a moment a nurse Yami had never seen before came over. She looked like someone's grandmother, older and very gentle-looking, clearly loving with Yugi.

"Hi, Yugi, sweetie," she said, kissing the top of his head. "Who are your friends?"

"This is Yami and Joey."

"Hi," Joey said, shaking her hand.

"Hello." Yami shook her hand as well.

"What would you like to eat, Yugi? The tomato soup was made by me personally. None of that nasty business with water. It's got milk in it."

Yugi smiled and folded his arms on the table. "That sounds great, Tess."

"Can't have tomato soup without grilled cheese. What would you young men like?"

"Whatever Yugi's having is fine with me," Yami said, sitting down in one of the molded plastic chairs. Apparently being served was normal here. Even now he could see a young male nurse serving two old men in wheelchairs across the room.

"Yeah, that's fine with me, too," Joey agreed, sitting down across the table.

"All right, then. And I've got apple pie for dessert."

"Only if you made that, too," Yugi said with another smile.

"You're such a sweetheart, mmm!" She kissed Yugi on the head again, hugging him. "I'm going to miss you, honey. You two take care of him or I'll come after you."

She smiled sunnily despite the threat and bustled off towards what Yami guessed was the kitchens. Yugi's smile turned slightly sad and Yami could sense that he was thinking about his mother. Joey was looking around, trying not to stare at the other disabled people in the room. Yami let Yugi think for a few moments before gently prodding him, though he kept their link shut out of respect.

"Aibou, she seems nice."

"Hm? Oh, yeah, she is. She's a great cook, too. And I'd make sure I took care of me, if I were you, I wouldn't want Tess coming after me like she promised you, I'm warning you."

"That sentence hurt my head," Joey said with a grin. "Am I me or you?"

Yugi laughed and wadded up a napkin he took from a dispenser, throwing it at Joey who batted it down. Tess and an assistant brought over two trays holding three bowls of red-white soup and three plates holding enormous grilled sandwiches so stuffed with melted cheese that they oozed in every direction. The smells were delicious and Joey laughed happily when the trays were set down.

"Wow! That looks like the best grilled cheese and tomato soup I've ever had and I haven't even had it yet!"

Tess smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "Oh, I like you."

Yugi spooned up a mouthful of his soup and made a pleased noise. "It's just as good as always."

Yami took a bite of the grilled cheese, nodding his head in agreement. It was very good. Tess laughed as she looked around at them all. "Now, see, that is just what a cook needs, three nice boys with empty bellies. Just make sure you have room for that apple pie. Oh, what am I saying, you're young men! You'd have room even if I served you the whole menu."

The apple pie was just as good as Yugi had said it would be. Tess was a very good cook, which must help in keeping morale up in a place like this. As Joey put it, good food helped bad situations. Once their lunch was done, they went out to the quad to sit in the sunshine and digest their meal. Thankfully Yugi seemed to have forgotten his interest in Yami's and Joey's jobs and instead talked about returning to Domino, asking if anything had changed in the past year.

"Not much, Yug'," Joey said. "Oh, except Kaiba's back in town."

"Really? He was gone for a long time."

"Not long enough," Joey muttered darkly.

"He asked about you," Yami said.

Yugi looked surprised. "He did?"

"Yes. Though he didn't say much when I told him some of what happened."

"That's 'cause the bastard doesn't care, Yami. Yug', if you get a sympathy card from him, I'll die of shock."

Yugi smiled and shook his head. "He's not that bad, Joey."

"Yes, he is."

"Anyway, Aibou, that really is the only change to Domino. Everything has been rebuilt--"

He broke off at the pained expression on Yugi's face and mentally kicked himself. Naturally not everything was rebuilt, for the Kame Game Shop was now a vacant lot with only a plaque on a fake rock to memorialize the tragedy that had occurred.

"Aibou, I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay. I've had a year to get used to it, Yami, and I am. I just wish I could have gone to the funerals..."

Yugi had been lying in a hospital bed fighting for his life during that time. Yami had also been lying in the hospital, recovering from the several broken bones he'd received and the funerals had been carried out by the city of Domino.

"That's the first thing we'll do when you get back," Joey said firmly. "We'll take you out to the gravesites, if that's what you want."

"Yeah. Yeah, I'd like that." He paused for a moment before asking about their friends. "I haven't seen them since before I came here.

"Tea's back in New York, doing her dance thing, Duke's Black Crown is going to be holding a contest for that new game everyone's so crazy about, the guitar one. Let's see, last I heard from Tristan, he's still in China, working for that law firm. Serenity and Mai have called a few times, too. I bet the second I tell them you're coming home, they'll all be here the next day."

"Um, maybe you had better wait a little for that," Yami cautioned. He didn't want Yugi to be overwhelmed right after returning home. "Though they would be happy to see you."

"Yeah, I want to see them. Maybe next month, though. Oh, I've got to get to my therapy."

"Want us to come along?" Joey asked.

"You could except the center has that visitor policy. You've got to go at five and it's about a quarter 'til."

"Aw, damn, you're right. Okay, well, I guess we'll be seeing you on the sixteenth, then." He bent and hugged Yugi, kissing him on the top of the head. "You call if you need anything, Yug'."

"I will, Joey, thank you. See you. 'Bye, Mou Hitori no Boku."

Yami bent and hugged Yugi as well. "I can't wait to have you home again, Aibou. Goodbye."

Yugi wheeled himself out of the quad towards the therapy wing and the two of them headed towards the main entrance back to the visitor's parking. The drive home was a silent one, both of them lost in their own thoughts. Yami was still worried about the upcoming finances. Joey seemed to have the elevator under control and he was grateful for that, but what about the surgery on the sixth? As for the procedure with the chips, he wasn't even sure if he liked the idea of it let alone wanting to consider how much that would cost. Having his partner's head cut open in order to stuff piece of metal inside was a thought that made his skin crawl and instantly made him anxious for his safety. But the way Yugi's eyes had lit up at the possibility...

Back at home, Joey showed Yami where he thought the elevator should go. "It's only about a square meter, just big enough for the chair. It'll block the hallway to the laundry room a bit, but I told them not to worry about that. We can walk sideways."

"Yes, of course. Joey, thank you."

Joey shrugged his shoulders, smiling. "Come on, I help my friends. Yug's been through hell, if I can do something for him, I'll do it."

"Yes, but all you've given up--"

"It isn't giving up anything when it's for someone I love."

Yami smiled a little and hugged him before heading upstairs to take a shower. He was still full from their lunch and took his time with the shower before drying his hair and getting dressed in a pair of pajamas. Once he left the bathroom, Joey got his own shower. Yami went into his room, lying down beneath the covers and resting his head on the pillow, looking up at the ceiling. It was only a little after eight, but he was done for the night. There was too much to think about and he just wanted to lie there and think.

He heard Joey leave the bathroom and looked up when his door opened after a short knock. "Mind if I come in?"

Yami patted the mattress, scooting over. Joey crawled up and laid down after getting in under the covers, resting on his side and facing him.

"So what do you think about this chip-thing, really?"

"I don't like it," Yami said at once. "Opening Aibou's skull?"

"Yeah. But the doctor wouldn't have mentioned it if he didn't think he could do it."

"Yes, but he admitted it was dangerous and that it could make Aibou worse. What if the chips malfunction, when Aibou is walking down stairs?"

Joey flinched and nodded. "Yeah, I thought about something like that, too. But, when it comes down to it, it's Yugi's decision, not ours. We'll be paying for it, but it's still his decision. Think about it from his point of view. If you had been crippled in that 'quake and the doctor said there was something that could make you walk again, what would you do?"

Yami looked up at the ceiling for a long time before answering reluctantly, "I would probably want to take the chance. And Aibou is a smart adult. He knows the risks involved. And you're right, it is his decision. I would never withhold the money from him if it was what he wanted to do. But I do want to talk to the doctor again, know all of what is going to happen, how long it was going to take, how much it costs, the maintenance, the--"

"Everything about it," Joey agreed. "No way is Yug' going to do something without us knowing everything about it. And I'll say it until it sinks in, don't worry about the money. We've got our jobs at the Fire Room, we can both get another job if we need it, and there's always selling stuff. Our Duel Monsters cards--"

"Joey, you are not going to sell your deck. That's--"

"If Yug' needs it, I sure as hell will. When's the last time I dueled anyway? Jumpin' Joey Wheeler is over, Yami, and it's not like I ever won a tournament."

Yami turned his head and glared at him. "You are an excellent duelist and Yugi would angry with you if you sold your deck for any reason. You have already done everything. Allow me to shoulder some of the responsibility, please."

Joey sighed and twisted over onto his back, nodding. "All right, I get it. You know I'm helping you as well, Shadow. Yug' isn't the only one I care about."

"Yes, but I am healed now. I will get another job for more money."

Joey fell silent but whether that was agreement or not, Yami wasn't sure. It didn't matter, it was his turn to take some responsibility for his hikari. Yugi was closer to him than a brother. He'd do nearly anything for him.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine:

With a sigh, Seto pulled open the door of the Fire Room and entered the club. It was Thursday night and he could only hope that Yami was here. He had considered attempting to find his address and talk to him there, but what he didn't need was Joey jumping all over him before he could get his mouth open. He doubted Yami was going to be much more helpful, but at least he would allow Seto to speak his piece first.

Yami was already on stage, alone. Apparently the White-Hot Duo wasn't always a pair. Seto moved to a table and sat down, watching as Yami slowly danced, revolving in place, running his hands over himself and rippling his body seductively. He reached down and untucked his sleeveless black shirt, raising it up and over his head, dropping it on the stage floor. He stepped towards the pole, gliding his hands along his bare torso before grabbing the pole and twirling around it a couple of times. Holding it with his hands, he bent forward and wiggled his ass towards the crowd, to enthusiastic applause. He straightened and turned around, leaning against the pole as he started working his pants down in stages, snapping his hips back and forth with each inch down his legs. Yami kicked them off and went back to the pole, bobbing up and down before finally letting go and walking back down the length of the stage, hands in his hair as he strutted. He appeared inviting and sexy, but the look in his eyes was flat, detached.

The song was coming to an end, but before it did, Joey suddenly came out from the curtains, wearing his own outfit of green, to cheers from different patrons. He stepped forward and grabbed Yami around his waist, spinning them both slowly a couple of times before leaning over Yami like he was going to kiss him. Yami smiled up at him, his own arm around Joey's neck, other hand on the arm around his waist. He slowly pulled away as the song finally ended and bent to gather his clothes before walking off the stage while Joey took a pose for the start of his own, the light briefly going down for the transition.

Seto got up under the cover of darkness and headed over to the doorway that he had seen the two of them leave before. Thanks to the bunch the curtains made when they were opened, he was half-hidden from Joey on the stage, who most likely wouldn't be looking anyway.

Yami suddenly opened the door, pausing in surprise in the doorway as he took in Seto. He was now wearing a red tank top and black jeans. His Puzzle hung against his stomach.

"Kaiba?"

"I need to talk to you."

Yami frowned and shook his head, pulling the door closed. Behind Seto the music began again and Joey began his dancing.

"No."

He started away and Seto threw out a wild card. "I'll bet Yugi's hospital bills are sky-high."

Yami stopped in mid-stride, before slowly turning back around, running his tongue over his teeth beneath his lips like he was thinking up the best vicious response. Seto cut him off before he could.

"Just talk to me a second. Come outside. If you're going to start yelling, don't interrupt Wheeler's striptease."

Yami was looking angrier by the second. He turned and stalked away, but Seto could see he was heading towards the back entrance of the club. Seto followed him outside to find them in an alley that connected the two streets from the front and the back of the club. The air was very cool, October just around the corner. Yami put his hands in his back pockets, frowning up at him.

"Make it damn fast, Kaiba. That was cruel."

At least he had read Yami right. No matter how angry he was, he would give Seto a chance. Staring down into the angry red eyes, he didn't know if he would get what he wanted, but at least he had a chance.

"Am I right? About Yugi?"

Yami huffed and started away. Seto stepped into his path, folding his arms.

"Stop. I have a proposition for you. I'll pay for all of Yugi's medical bills, whatever they are, no question, if you do something for me."

He definitely had Yami's attention. He was looking up at him suspiciously, but there was both curiosity and eagerness he was trying to hide.

"Do what?"

Seto took a breath to fortify himself before explaining everything to him. Yami listened without interrupting until he was done.

"I am not surprised you're in trouble."

Seto scowled at him. "Did I not explain it in a way you can understand? I didn't do anything except turn a company that made guns into one that made games. He's the psychopath. Look, do you want to fix Yugi or not?"

"He is not broken, Kaiba!"

"Yeah, he is, or you wouldn't be up there twirling around a pole and shaking your ass in strangers' faces."

Yami's face whitened, though whether out of anger or distress Seto wasn't sure. What mattered was that he was obviously thinking over what Seto had said. Finally he tilted his head slightly.

"You want me to steal the Corvo Diamond out of the Domino Museum and then you're going to hand it off to this Takanawa. Don't you realize he's never going to let you go?"

"I realize a lot more than you do."

"Insulting me is not the best way to go about asking for my help."

"Forcing your weaknesses are. And Yugi's the biggest weakness you'll ever have. Think about his expenses, Yami. Surgeries? Rehab. Medicine? How about outfitting your apartment for an invalid?"

Yami was shaking now, his hands out of his pockets and balled into fists at his sides. He looked ready to attempt hitting Seto, but he knew he wouldn't, merely because he was right. Yami would do anything for Yugi, that was already quite obvious.

"You want to be a stripper forever, that's fine. I tried."

Seto turned and headed down the alley towards the main street where his BMW was parked. Yami didn't call him back, but Seto wasn't yet worried. Let Yami think about it and if he chose to help, he would also think about how to do the stealing. That was one thing that Seto hadn't quite figured out how he was going to do, but he knew Yami had his magick and if he could do it, he'd know how.

In the meantime, he'd continue looking for Takanawa. He headed home and logged into his computer, once again looking up information on Hiroshi Takanawa. There were more people by that name than he had realized, even with his search parameters in place. But this time he hit pay dirt by hacking into the Domino police database. According to it, Hiroshi Takanawa had once been a member of the Japanese Yakuza mafia. Probably still was, but definitely not big anymore or he probably wouldn't have bothered with forcing Seto to steal for him, he would have just arranged a hit. More likely, losing Gozaburo had hurt him badly. Seto could guess that either Gozaburo had paid for mafia protection in his business dealings or else Takanawa used Gozaburo's properties for his own dealings.

Seto had taken everything from Gozaburo and what he couldn't have transformed into his gaming corporation he completely had shut down and locked up. Either scenario could have caused Takanawa trouble. According to the police file, he'd been sent to jail for ten years for possession and distribution of drugs, menacing, and receiving stolen property. He'd had an excellent lawyer who'd gotten him a deal and he had been let out early for good behavior. At least that explained why he had taken so long to come after him.

Seto got out of the database and closed his laptop, thinking. Glancing at the clock, he saw that it was half-past ten and Yami had not contacted him. True, it had only been about forty minutes or so since he'd talked to him in the alley, but if he didn't get in touch with him soon, Seto was going to have to come up with another plan.

He had until midnight tomorrow. He'd give Yami until dinnertime and then he'd find some other way of getting that diamond necklace. Maybe he could hack into their security system and shut it down. It was unlikely, considering the sort of stops they put in place to keep that from happening, but he could definitely give it a try. He was a technical genius. He would have done that in the first place but for one problem; everyone knew he was a genius and it would take only one suspicious cop to mess up his life even more than it was. If he were to make a mistake on hacking into the database and having the security come back online while he was in the museum, getting caught by a guard, having the hack traced back to his computer, or something as simple as having someone see him exiting to ruin everything. Yami, on the other hand, had to have some sort of sneaky trick up his sleeve.

It pissed him off to no end, but it looked like his best shot would be Yami.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten:

Yami entered the Fire Room after Kaiba had left, his head full of what he had said. He went around behind the bar and poured himself a coke-and-vodka before sitting down at the dancers' table and sipping it while he thought. Kaiba was in trouble, that was obvious. Whoever this Takanawa was, he knew Kaiba, knew how to hurt him. Yami wasn't sure if he believed Kaiba when he said he was innocent in this situation, but that was beside the point since it didn't change anything. The only thing that mattered was what Kaiba wanted of him.

He couldn't possibly even consider doing it. And yet, Yugi instantly came to mind. Kaiba had promised to pay for everything Yugi needed. And there were so many bills, so much money involved. He loved Yugi dearly and wanted nothing but his happiness and to give him whatever he wanted. He knew how much Yugi wanted to try the chip-procedure, no matter how much he was afraid of what could happen. Even if they didn't do it, there were still more surgeries, alterations on the apartment, Yugi's painkillers, and who knew what else. They would never be able to afford it, no matter how optimistic Joey was. Yami knew better and he had agonized over it for the last several weeks. They were already stretched to the limit.

Kaiba had more money than he would need even if he lived to Yami's chronological age. He would be able to pay even that chip-thing, and everything else, with ease.

But what he wanted, was dangerous, illegal, immoral. If Yugi knew...

"Yami? Hey, Yami!"

Startled, Yami looked up to see Joey leaning over next to his shoulder, hand bracing on the table, the other resting lightly on his back, looking down at him in question. He hadn't even realized that his dance number had ended and he had gotten changed backstage. Joey's hand gently rubbed his back.

"You okay? You didn't answer."

"Just...thinking."

"Oh. Yeah..."

"Are you ready to go home?"

"Actually...I was going out. You know, Derek, he asked me-- But if you're upset or--"

"No, no, Joey, I'm fine. If you're wanting to go out, go ahead." He was a little surprised that Joey was going out with Derek after all of this time, but apparently the other's flirting had paid off. "I'll just head home."

Joey hesitated. "Want me to drive you?"

"No, I'll walk."

"It's after eleven."

Yami smiled, reaching down to lightly touch his Puzzle. "I'll be fine, Joey."

Joey grinned, nodding. "Right, right. You haven't done it in so long I forgot all the damage you can do. I wouldn't want to piss you off." He bent and kissed the top of Yami's head. "All right, I'll see you later."

"Goodbye."

Yami finished his drink before leaving, walking the usual way back to the apartment. It was a very cool night, the last day of September, and he pulled his coat tighter around him, glad to get home into the warmth of the apartment. He hung up his jacket before settling down onto the couch. It was time to give this some more serious thought.

Yugi deserved whatever chance he could get to walk again. Yami knew it was what Yugi would want. But would he agree to the method of getting it? If he ever found out Yami was stealing in order to pay for his medical bills, he would be horrified.

On the other hand, there was simply no way they could afford it. Right then, Yami wasn't even sure how they were going to pay for the rent, the elevator job, and the first car payment, all of which were due tomorrow.

There was also the nagging feeling that he should help Kaiba out. The man was a jerk, he undoubtedly didn't care about Yugi or anyone else, but Yugi still considered him a friend and Yami had never hated him the way Joey did. He was nothing like Seth, nothing like any of his friends, but the fact remained he had helped them out numerous times and to leave him floating adrift would be something Yami wasn't sure if he could live with. If Kaiba were telling the truth, then he was being targeted for nothing he'd done himself and there was the fact that Mokuba and his new girlfriend, this Marianne, were also in danger and they certainly were innocent. Yami's conscience niggled at him to help them.

Gods, Yami's head hurt. There was just so much stress and problems to think about. Finally he stood up and went into the kitchen, opening the refrigerator and pulling out the bottle of spiced rum he kept in there. He poured himself a glass and leaned against the counter while he drank it. Maybe in the morning things would clear up for him and he'd know what he would do. Perhaps the gods hadn't completely abandoned him and they would give him a decision. Either path had its positive and negative effects. He would just have to figure out which he could live with.

******

Joey got home around two in the morning, and he found Yami back on the couch, thinking over and over everything. He hadn't even realized all that time had passed. When Joey got home, he looked up, rubbing the back of his neck and stretching. Joey hung up his coat, looking at him with a concerned frown.

"Hey! Yami, are you still up? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Joey."

"Are you sure? You look real upset."

"Just thinking about Aibou's situation."

"Oh." Joey sat down next to him, nodding seriously. "Yeah, I've been thinking about it, too. I think...we should go for it. Yug' deserves to walk. Let's set up an appointment with that doc so we can find out how much that procedure costs and how long we have to get the money."

Yami considered for a moment before nodding his head. "I agree. Aibou hasn't said anything definitive about wanting to try it, but I can sense how interested he is in it, even if he's not completely at ease. Yes, let's go back to Dr. Ashford, with Aibou, and learn everything. By the way, how was your date?"

Joey grimaced and got to his feet. "Ugh. Derek's a real nice guy, but he's one of the most boring, silly people I've ever met and that's saying something coming from me."

"Joey--"

Joey laughed and waved his hand to dismiss his protest. "You're more interesting asleep, Shadow. Damn, I still smell like bar smoke. I'm gonna grab a shower. You should get to bed."

Yami stood up as well, following Joey up the stairs, entering his bedroom and changing into his pajamas, hearing the shower water running. He removed his cuffs, collar, and Puzzle, setting them down on his dresser. He wanted to talk to Yugi, but it was after two in the morning and he didn't want to disrupt his sleep.

The shower turned off and Yami heard the hair dryer blowing. He crossed to his bedroom window and tilted his head back as he leaned sideways against the glass, looking up at the stars above. He turned his head at the sound of a knock before his door opened and Joey poked his head inside.

"Goodnight, Yami."

"Spend the night with me."

Joey blinked in surprise, before sliding into the room and closing the door. He was wearing a T-shirt and boxers, despite the cold night, and crossed the room to stand in front of Yami as he continued to lean back against the window. He reached up and brushed his knuckles against Yami's cheek, tucking his bangs back behind his ear. He grinned a little.

"Are you just wanting a good fuck to forget everything for a little while?"

"I would have put it more gracefully." Joey had understood what he meant when he'd asked.

"Yeah, but you're not me." Joey grinned as he slid his arms around Yami's waist. "I can do that."

Yami allowed himself to be pulled up against Joey's body, tilting his face up as Joey lowered his to kiss him. He closed his eyes and wound his arms around Joey's neck, opening his mouth when the other requested entrance, staying submissive for the moment and allowing Joey to map out his mouth, sliding his own tongue against his and swallowing Joey's moan.

Joey's hands slid down and pulled up his pajama shirt. He ran his hands over his skin, drawing them slowly up his back, breaking the kiss to mouth down his neck, teeth nibbling. Yami tilted his head back, enjoying the delicious sensations, reaching down to push his hand down the front of Joey's boxers.

"Uhn," Joey grunted, lifting his head.

He thrust his hips forward, hands coming up to catch Yami's face between them and completely devouring him. He then reached down and began pulling at the buttons to his pajama top, sliding the material down his arms, moving his head down to begin sucking a mark on his left shoulder. Yami dropped his arms to allow the shirt to fall to the floor, before pushing at Joey to walk him back towards his bed.

Joey broke the kiss and stepped back a step and pulled his T-shirt over his head, throwing it around Yami's waist and pulling him up against him by it, rocking his hips from side to side to rub their bodies together. Yami sighed in pleasure at the stimulation, pushing harder against him. He suddenly reached up and shoved Joey down onto his back. Joey grinned and crawled back up to place his head on the pillow, folding his hands on his belly.

Yami swayed his body slowly as he slid his pajama bottoms down, rolling his hips when he came back up before stepping out of them and walking forward, crawling over Joey. He bent down and kissed him, this time taking over, grabbing the waistband of Joey's pants and shoving them down. Breaking the kiss, he trailed over his body, kissing and licking his way down. Joey sighed under him, one hand sliding through his hair and resting atop his head as he went.

"Oh, yeah, Shadow," Joey moaned as Yami glided his tongue slowly up his erection.

Yami opened his mouth and sucked just the tip of him, running his tongue over and over again against the slit. Joey's groans grew huskier, his body trembling beneath him. Yami grinned inwardly to himself as he felt Joey tug on his hair.

"Yami, please. Gods, that's good, but...please!"

Yami lifted his head and chuckled, tilting his head and flicking his tongue against the shaft before taking mercy on him and swallowing him down. Joey moaned in gratitude, hips moving up just a little, uncontrollably. Yami gripped them and held him down, bobbing his head and sucking, drawing off occasionally to tease him in other places. He dipped his head and ran his tongue over his balls before raising up to suck the shaft from the side. Joey let out a howl, legs shifting under him.

"Yami!"

Joey tugged on his hair again, a little harder than before but still carefully. Yami eased the suction and slowly drew his lips up before taking him back down his throat and working him off this time. Joey screamed again as he came. Yami swallowed and lifted his head. He moved up and rested against Joey's side while he caught his breath, but Joey didn't relax for more than a second before rolling over on Yami and pinning him down hard on the bed, nearly falling off the edge before getting his balance and settling on him. His hands were digging into Yami's biceps and his kiss was brutal.

"Mm," he sighed when he pulled back. "That was great."

Yami smiled up at him, ignoring the tightness of his grips. Joey let go, hands brushing over his skin until he felt aroused almost beyond belief, squirming beneath him, breathing harshly.

"Joey..."

"Hey, you did it."

But he kissed Yami hungrily before immediately dropping down and taking him into his mouth. Yami grunted, squeezing his eyes shut, the pleasure shocking him. He moaned, gripping the bed sheets tightly as Joey bobbed his head, stroking him with his tongue. Joey's hands were busy, too, teasing his stomach, his thighs, his balls, pulling him closer and closer to the edge.

Joey wriggled his tongue against him and he came with a growl, gasping for breath as he felt him swallow and lift up. Yami opened his eyes, looking up at him as Joey leaned over him, grinning. He reached out and brushed Yami's hair back from his face again.

"That feel good, Shadow? You forget everything for a moment?"

Yami chuckled and nodded his head against the pillow. "Yes."

"I've still got it."

Joey grinned before gasping as Yami surged up, switching their positions. He lay back on the bed while Yami leaned over to his dresser and grabbed the lube. Joey was slowly stroking his own erection, looking at Yami with an arousing expression. Yami immediately kissed him, fingers in his hair to pull his head back, ravaging his mouth. Joey groaned, hands on Yami's shoulders before they slid down his back and grabbed his ass, squeezing. Yami growled, releasing Joey's hair without breaking the kiss to open the lube. Joey spread his legs further, moaning when Yami pushed the first finger into him.

Yami stretched him slowly, taking his time with it while Joey ran his hands over his body, fingers teasingly brushing over his entrance before sliding down between his legs to begin stroking him. Yami broke the kiss to bite into Joey's shoulder, thrusting against his hand, removing his own. Yami sat back up, Joey grabbing the lube and spreading some over Yami's renewed erection.

Yami took it back tossed the tube down on the floor, hooking his hands under Joey's thighs and lifting them up, sliding into him. Joey groaned in pleasure, hands once again on Yami's shoulders.

"Give it to me hard," he whispered with a lecherous grin.

Yami smiled before beginning to do just that, drawing forth appreciative moans from him, Joey matching his strokes. Yami slammed into him, groaning himself, moving his mouth to Joey's neck. Joey's fingers dug into his shoulders, crashing back against him, his cries echoing around the bedroom. Yami shifted his weight to wrap his fingers around Joey's erection, stroking him in time with his thrusts. All they both wanted was quick orgasms.

Joey leaned up on one elbow, his other hand gripping the back of Yami's head to kiss him. Yami opened his mouth, allowing him control, tightening his fingers around his cock, stroking faster. Joey's groans continuously rumbled in his throat, his muscles contracting around Yami, clearly on the edge. Joey broke the kiss to lean back, tilting his head back though he remained braced on his arm, his other still around Yami's neck, his grunts coming faster.

"Ah, ah, Yami!"

He suddenly arched his back, screaming, coming over his stomach and Yami's hand. His muscles clamped on Yami, and he groaned, thrusting a couple more times before coming himself. Joey fell back against the bed, Yami bracing himself on both arms, both catching their breaths. Yami carefully withdrew before moving to cuddle up against Joey's side, drawing up the sheets over them. Joey wrapped his arms around him, pillowing his head on his chest, stroking his hair.

Yami lightly kissed his skin. "Goodnight, Joey."

"'Night, Shadow."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven:

Seto glanced at the clock, realizing he'd done so several times already. It was only about three in the afternoon, he still had plenty of time, but Yami was taking too long. If he didn't make up his mind soon, Seto was going to have to go with trying to override the security system and stealing the diamond himself.

A knock on his office door made him look up. Mokuba came in, looking beside himself with glee. Seto blinked at him.

"What's that look for?"

"I did it," Mokuba said happily. He plopped down on the edge of Seto's desk. "I proposed to Marianne. She said yes!"

Seto leaned back in his seat and smiled. "Congratulations, Mokuba."

"Thanks." Mokuba let out a breath. "I've never been more nervous in doing anything. I took Marianne to the place where we had our first date, got the engagement ring from Cabot's Jeweler's downtown."

"You took her for lunch?"

"Uh, no. Actually, I got engaged last night."

Seto got the implication immediately. "Ah."

Marianne had been staying in Japan since last week, in the fanciest hotel in the city. Mokuba had been staying there, too, which meant only one thing. In order cover up the rather uncomfortable moment, Seto asked, "When's the date?"

"Marianne and I agreed on a short engagement. We've been dating for three years, we managed a long-distance relationship the last eight months, it seems meant-to-be. We chose November 8th."

Seto nodded his head. "If you want to do something, go ahead and do it. I'll fly Marianne's parents in from England."

Mokuba grinned at him. "Thanks. You know, it's the bride's parents who are supposed to pay for everything. Marianne's parents have almost as much money as you do."

Seto grunted. Marianne's father came from very old money, something about being descended from a Tudor family. It was true that he had a lot of money and if he wanted to pay for the wedding, Seto didn't care. Mokuba had a lot of money himself, being now a full-partner for Kaiba Corp. Seto still had more percentage of the company than his brother, but he had given Mokuba a real section of the ownership on his eighteenth birthday, rather than just the pittance he'd gotten when Gozaburo had died. Mokuba owned the amusement park and office in England, and Seto fully expected him to move there once he and Marianne were married. The two of them had already been accepted to Oxford University.

He was about to, for the first time, no longer have his brother always at his side. It was a strange thought, but he wasn't that upset. Mokuba was a grown man now and he deserved a life of his own. Seto had known this moment was coming for a while and no one was more practical than he.

"Is the wedding going to be here or in England?" He'd automatically said he'd bring the Coltranes to Japan, but most likely the bride would want to be home for her wedding.

"We're not sure yet. Either way, Marianne would like her parents here, to give them the news."

"Fine. Call them and tell them they can fly in whenever they need to."

Mokuba grinned again, looking very happy. "Thanks, Seto. Maybe we can get them in here by tomorrow night. Hey, can you have dinner with us on Sunday?"

Seto's usual distaste for going on his brother's dates wasn't the only reason he didn't want to go that night. He glanced at the clock again, before cursing himself. It was only twenty minutes later since the last time he'd looked.

"Mokuba, you know I--"

"It's not a date. Marianne's parents will be here by then and the two families need to spend at least some time together before the wedding. You only met Marianne twice and you've never seen the Coltranes at all."

Seto bit back a sigh. It was true; as the head of the Kaiba family, it rather was his duty to greet the bride's parents, especially since they were coming here to his home city. He nodded reluctantly.

"But I'm leaving it up to you to make the arrangements."

Mokuba laughed. "Yeah, I thought you would. Okay, I'll let you get back to work. I need to be going anyway, I've got a meeting with Icho for the redesign. See ya, Seto."

Seto nodded his head and watched his brother leave the room. Almost as soon as the door closed, like it had been planned, his phone rang and he answered it. He wasn't that surprised that it was Takanawa.

"Yeah?"

"You're running out of time, kid. By my watch, you've got nine hours. Figured out a plan yet?"

"Sure. Want me to spell it out so you can offer your great wisdom?"

Takanawa laughed. "I don't expect you to do it."

"Never expect anything about me."

"Hm, I'll take that to heart." Takanawa snorted in sarcasm. "Tick, tock, kid."

******

Seto had forced himself to return to work as usual after Takanawa had hung up. He'd finished out his day and returned home, finding that Mokuba had clearly chosen to spend the night with Marianne again. He ate the dinner his cook laid out before retiring upstairs and logging into his computer. He never did anything without a back-up plan, so if that punk decided to not help him, he'd better have a fall-back.

An hour later, he'd managed to hack into the museum database. He had taken great lengths to backtrack over his own hack, hoping it was confusing enough not to be traced. He studied the floor plan of the museum, checking where the diamond necklace was being kept. He was right though, the guard-shift roster was not there. He'd have to take his chances sneaking around like a silly fool if Yami didn't come through for him.

Seto backed out of the system and turned off his computer, leaning back in his chair and thinking. He'd memorized the location of the diamond as well as the general floor plan, so that part wouldn't be too hard. And movies had provided a broad picture of how to heist a diamond. He could enter through the delivery bay doors in the back and make it way up to the second floor, where the diamond was being displayed in the jewelry section. If he placed a virus in the computer's security with his laptop just before entering the building, he'd have maybe half an hour tops to secure the diamond. The security was multi-leveled, but he'd already been successful breaking through it once. There wasn't much in computer terms that could defeat Seto Kaiba.

Now for Takanawa. Tracking him down was going to be near impossible, considering he was still a mob boss, however low he'd been brought by the take-over of Kaiba Corp. Certainly he wasn't personally anywhere near Seto. Maybe brute force was the best way to go about this. The 'associate' was coming to Kaiba Corp. at midnight to pick up the diamond. There was a possibilty Seto could get the best of him; he was very strong and if he got the drop on the guy, even a weapon wouldn't matter. The associate was sure to be packing, but would he suspect a physical attack? If Seto did get the best of him, maybe he could force his boss' whereabouts out of him, or better yet, make him take him to Takanawa.

But there was a flaw in that plan as well, aside from the possibility the guy would overwhelm him. Idiots like this rarely worked alone and it would only take the guy raising the alarm to screw Seto. He was strong, but he certainly couldn't take three guys, particularly if they had heat on them.

Maybe there would be another way, if he could only think about it. Takanawa expected him to stay away from the cops, in order to protect his brother. As well as to help hide the indiscretions Seto himself had committed. He certainly didn't need the cops digging into his personal history. While he wasn't afraid of jail time, not with his influence and money, but Kaiba Corp. also didn't need the bad press, not when it was still recovering from a couple of bad fiscal years. The new parks were barely open and the corporation had done nothing new besides for several years. Maybe it was time to change that, get people interested again in Kaiba Corp's biggest merchandise line, Duel Monsters. But how to go about that?

The problem nowadays was the miserable dueling he saw going on. While Duel Monsters retained its cult following status, the few duels he'd witnessed taking place in minor local tournaments and such were laughable. The duelists were shoddy, weak, and spotty on the rules. With the reigning Duel Monster champion permanently off the radar, Seto himself busy with opening his parks, and Maximillion Pegasus basically out of the spotlight, there had been no one to teach the new kids how to do it right.

Hm... teaching kids how to do it right. That almost sounded interesting. It would give Kaiba Corporation another big slice of Duel Monsters profits if he could get Pegasus to agree to it, considering he still retained the game's rights. He'd have a lot of work to do getting it set up, but--

Damn it, he had to get his mind focused back on his current dilemma. If he didn't do this the right way, there wasn't going to be any point in planning for the future. He'd either be dead or in jail. He'd have to find out more about Takanawa's weaknesses and exploit them.

Well, the bastard had chosen to use Seto's only weakness against him, his brother. Maybe it was time to get down and dirty and turn the tables.

Seto logged back into his computer and went back to all the information he could find on Takanawa, searching for family history. He wasn't completely sure he had the right Takanawa as there were a few other entries under that name, but given the approximate age and the villainous background, he was pretty sure he did. This Hiroshi Takanawa had a deceased wife, a brother that had married though there was no listing of children for them, and Takanawa himself had only a four-year-old son by a twenty-three-year-old woman. Seto had to stare at that entry for a moment, unsure of the truthfulness. Takanawa had to be in his sixties. Randy bastard.

It was while he was in the middle of that that his home office door burst open without a knock and a certain someone came stumbling in.

Yami came right up to his desk, leaned over it with both hands splayed on the shiny wooden surface and declared, "I'll do it, Kaiba."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve:

Yami woke to the loud sounds of construction. It was so out of place that he was momentarily disoriented, groping for the clock, aware that he was alone in the bed. It was almost nine.

The door suddenly opened and Joey poked his head in, already fully dressed. "Hey. That's the elevator guys. I turned off the alarm clock and got up early to get ready for them. I'll keep them downstairs if you want to get a shower."

Yami blinked at him intelligently. Joey had assumed full responsibility where only a year ago he would have slept til noon despite the noise. Joey grinned at him before ducking back out. Yami lay back for a moment before finally getting up. He wouldn't be without his own jobs to do. He would deliver the rent and car payment checks Joey would fill out before going and buying their groceries.

He showered and dressed quickly and went downstairs. Joey was supervising the construction of the air-lift elevator. He smiled when he saw Yami.

"They're already on the table."

He didn't offer to drive him, probably finally realizing that Yami would decline so long as the way was clear to walk. Yami felt, perhaps ridiculously, that he should walk since Yugi couldn't.

He picked up the envelopes containing the checks and got his coat and gloves, stepping around the debris of construction and heading out. He dropped off the rent and car payments before going to the store. He only picked up the basic essentials, knowing how low they were on cash at the moment. At the check-out counter, he handed the cashier Joey's credit card. She swiped it and glanced at her screen before looking back at him with an apologetic expression.

"I'm sorry, sir. It declined."

Yami stared at her. "What?"

"I can try it again."

Yami said nothing to her, just took the card back slowly turned away, walking out the front door and leaving the groceries where they were on the conveyor belt. He headed slowly down the sidewalk, his head swirling. He had thought he and Joey had money in the bank. Maybe not much, but this was a real blow. They didn't even have enough money for a half-dozen items at the store? The refrigerator was all but empty and they didn't get paid until next Friday. He had just dropped off the rent and the car payments, but if there was no money in their account at that moment, neither of those checks would go through. The car would be repossessed and they'd be lucky if they were evicted from their apartment. He still had to have Joey write Yugi's monthly stay check for the center.

Oh, gods, his aibou. If they couldn't pay for him to stay at the center, what would become of him then? He still needed another surgery on the sixth. Even if Dr. Ashford and the nurses liked Yugi and didn't kick him out until Yami and Joey got paid next week, they still wouldn't be able to afford the surgery. And on top of all of that, a necessary twenty-thousand dollar elevator was being fitted into the apartment as he walked.

He started to turn the corner to his home street before finding himself just continuing on. He walked inside the Fire Room and found their boss.

"Hey, kid," the man said, smiling at him. "What's up? You look blue."

"Roger, Joey and I are a little strapped for cash. Can we get a pay advance? Or can I pick up some extra shifts?"

Roger made a hissing noise through his teeth, shaking his head. "No extra shifts. It wouldn't be fair to the others, you know that. And I can't give you money in advance, the company has a policy against it."

Yami sighed softly, disappointed by unsurprised. He nodded his head and headed back out into the main room, sitting down on a bar stool at the counter, resting his arms on it and studying the wood, trying to find a solution. They had to have money right then.

"Hey, Yami, what's up, Hot Stuff?"

Yami raised his head, smiling at Dana, the only female employee at the Fire Room. Both of her brothers were gay and worked at the Fire Room, and had persuaded Roger to hire her to run the bar Friday-Sunday mornings. She was a very personable woman who accepted everyone the same and had soon become one of the most popular people to the other employees. She had not made small of the fact that she thought Yami was cute and constantly flirted with him, not at all oblivious to the fact that he didn't like her that way, unlike Tea. She flirted because she liked to, not because she thought she would get anywhere.

"You look pretty upset about something. Need a pick-me-up?"

Yami shook his head. "Can't afford it."

"Oh. Gotcha. You know what, it's on the house. Roger can bitch at me later." She grabbed a glass and a decanter and quickly mixed Yami's favorite, a Hurricane. "It doesn't matter how femme the guy, you Y-Chromos can never bitch like a bitch."

Yami laughed softly as he accepted the drink. "I would have to agree with you."

"Want to sing me the blues or are you the still the strong, silent type?"

"I think I'll have to have a few more of these before I sing anything, Dana." He took a drink, finding it as good as ever. Roger had been very glad he'd made the choice to give in to Dana's brothers because she was an excellent and lightning-fast mixer. "It's just money trouble."

"Personal business is personal." She took a rag and started cleaning the dust off a few glasses. "I know how it is. You think you can swallow that pride of yours to ask me for help, come calling day or night." She winked at him. "Especially night. No price too high for your pretty face for an hour or so."

Yami smiled again as she walked the length of the bar to wait on a customer who had come up. The Fire Room was largely empty, only a few of the more creepy regulars there at just past noon on a weekday. Walking from place to place had taken over two hours.

As soon as Dana was gone, her cheery ambiance faded and Yami felt the crushing worries again. He drank his Hurricane faster than normal and got up, managing to find a couple of dollars in his wallet to leave Dana to help pay for the drink she'd given him and left the Fire Room.

He returned home, where the construction workers were just getting off their lunch break, the elevator more than half-finished. The visit to the Fire Room and the walk home had taken him to ten to one. Joey was sitting in the kitchen, looking thoughtfully out of the window, but upon Yami's arrival he stood up, a wide smile appearing on his face.

"Did you see it? Looks pretty good, huh?"

"Yes."

Did he dare bring up the fact that he couldn't buy groceries? Joey had known his agenda, and the lack of a paper bag in his arms should have been a clue. He suspected that he didn't have to say anything at all. Sure enough, Joey's smile turned slightly strained and he went back out into the living room, where the sounds of hammering and an electric screwdriver resumed. Yami faintly heard the metal clunk of the mailbox and went out to grab the mail.

It was a stack of bills and he looked at them in dismay, each one stamped with a red "Final Notice" on the envelope. Standing there on the stoop, he tore the electric bill open and read the short, threatening note that explained that if the company didn't receive the full balance as well as the mounting late fees before the fifth, their power would be cut off. The water bill and the gas bill said similar things.

"I was funneling most of our money into Yugi's care," Joey said quietly from behind him. He turned around and could see the worry and strain in Joey's eyes. "I kept up our rent, enough money to buy some food for us, but the rest went to Yug'. Then I had to put a down payment on the car and the elevator and the ramp that's going to be installed on Monday and...just ignored those."

"Joey, how are we going to pay for all of this? Your credit card is...what is it, maxed out? and the bank account is empty."

"I know. But I've got some money. I paid the electric bill in cash, don't worry about that, that bill's been mailed after I did it. The elevator runs on the electricity. And I got the ramp paid off. The water heater broke--don't look like that, I already paid the guy, he fixed it while you were out."

"Where did you get the money?"

"I told you I'd take care of stuff. The account's been run down just recently, I didn't even know it was complete dust. Here, let me get you some cash and you can get yourself something to eat. I've got a twenty--"

"No, Joey."

"Come on, don't start that again. You need to eat something. You didn't even have any dinner last night."

Joey reached into his pocket and pulled out a small wad of bills that were mostly singles. He peeled away a twenty and grabbed Yami's wrist, pressing the bill into his hand. Yami took it reluctantly, knowing that Joey was right. Joey patted him on the shoulder before turning back into the apartment as a worker called his name. Yami headed down the sidewalk again, heading to the closest burger place where he only got a sandwich off the dollar menu. Joey had given him the money for food, but it looked like it was going to stretch for the next week.

He ate the sandwich on the sidewalk, walking aimlessly. For lack of anything better to do, he returned to the Fire Room, sitting back down on the same barstool. Dana came down, grinning at him.

"Back again? Are my feminine wiles working at last?"

"If there was ever a woman I could get hot for, it would be you, Dana."

"Man. Pity you like the Y, 'cause you've got enough charm to drown a woman in. 'Nother Hurricane?"

"No, I--"

"Don't worry about Roger. You can put up all the fronts you want, but I can see the gloom in your eyes. Get yourself staggering, then maybe I'll have a chance."

She mixed the Hurricane, ignoring his protests and set it down in front of him. Yami drank it, and not because she'd gone to the trouble of mixing it for him. Everything was just getting so hard, and the more they tried to keep their heads above water the harder the undertow pulled. Once that one was done he didn't wait for Dana, just leaned over the bartop and grabbed a bottle of scotch, filling his Hurricane glass and drinking the harder liquor pure. As his head grew fuzzier, the better he felt. His worries remained, but at least he couldn't think straight anymore.

He set his glass down rather hard after several minutes, staring unfocusedly at the rows of bottles behind the bar top. Part of him realized he was drinking too much to still be given the grace of 'on the house' but they already owed so much money, what was a little more?

He downed the last swallow of his second full glass of scotch and nearly dropped his glass setting it down. His head spun and he felt very disconnected from his body. It was rather a good feeling. Nothing seemed quite so bad right then.

But it was bad. No matter how much he drank, Yugi remained in his mind. And suddenly he remembered Kaiba. He had promised to pay for Yugi, but what he wanted was out of the question. Yugi would have a fit if he knew.

Which was why Yami wouldn't tell him. Yugi could continue believing they got the money on the straight and narrow and Yami would just keep the secret from him. He already didn't know that his darkness and best friend were strippers and were in grave debt, why not add grand theft to the list of things Yugi didn't know? Yami had made a promise to protect his light and that was what he was going to do. And there was Joey to think of, too. He was running himself ragged trying to make it all work and there just wasn't the money to be had.

Yami got up, which nearly proved to be beyond him, and managed to walk his way to the door. He thought he heard Dana call his name, but he didn't stop. It was dark outside, but he couldn't read his watch, even by the light of the streetlamp, his eyes refusing to focus well enough. Ignoring this, he made his way with difficulty along the streets until he came to Kaiba Manor.

The door was answered by a butler and even in Yami's severly intoxicated state, he could tell that the man was sneering at him.

"I need to see Kaiba," Yami muttered.

"Master Kaiba is--"

Yami pushed past him and started across the foyer. The man grabbed his arm and Yami swiftly struck him with a mental blow that knocked him out. He hit the floor with a meaty thud and Yami left him there, stumbling up the stairs only by aid of the banister. He didn't know the layout of the mansion from the layout of Buckingham Palace, but he could sense Kaiba's aura and followed it, becoming slightly clearer-headed with this goal driving him.

He shoved open the home office door and staggered across the floor. He nearly overbalanced and slammed both hands down on the desk top to keep from falling over, leaning a little too close to the mildly surprised Kaiba and managed to announce, "I'll do it, Kaiba."

Kaiba's first words weren't what he was expecting. Leaning back in his chair, his nose wrinkling and one hand fanning the air in front of his face, Kaiba grimaced. "Are you drunk?"

"Yes," Yami said, trying to lever himself upright. His feet didn't seem to be able to find sufficient standing on the constantly shifting floor. He nearly fell over again and seized the edge of the desk to stop himself.

Kaiba stood up quickly and came around to grab his arm. He pulled him across the floor and shoved him into a leather couch against the far wall next to the door, none-too-gentle. Yami slumped in an undignified manner, but ignored it, deciding that the soft leather felt too good to be bothered with sitting upright. Kaiba looked down at him with a look of irritation and something else.

"Sit there and stay there. I don't need you throwing up all over my office."

"Didn't you hear me?"

"I heard you. And I'll keep you to it. I don't care if you're drunk and you regret it later, you made your choice and you're going to stick to it. You obviously need the money and you need to get it from me. Which really means, you have no choice at all."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen:

Well, things were beginning to look up. In a manner of speaking. Seto was still a little surprised. Yami was sprawled, dead drunk, on his couch, and he had agreed to helping him steal the diamond. It was already almost nine and he would have to get going on this, but Yami was in no shape to even stand up let alone pull off a multi-stage heist. Though Seto had been right, he was keeping him to this promise of helping him, no matter what he said in the morning.

Seto pressed the intercom button that was fixed on his wall, calling his butler and getting no response.

"He's knocked out," Yami slurred. Seto looked over at him, leaning heavily against the corner between the back of the couch and the armrest of it. "He grabbed my arm."

Seto growled at him, irritated. He knew what Yami meant and his eyes drifted to the heavy gold Puzzle around his neck. He hated that horrible thing. Turning back to the intercom, he pushed another button, this time summoning a maid.

"Bring coffee to my office, now."

"Yes, sir, Mr. Kaiba."

Seto turned away from the intercom and going back behind his desk, resuming his work. Yami was silent on the couch, his eyes closed, perhaps even passed-out by now. Seto only glanced at him before looking away and focusing back on his work. The maid brought up the coffee, looking furtively at Yami but setting down the tray and scooting out like she was supposed to.

"Get up and drink some coffee."

Yami moved a little, opening his eyes half-way. He pushed himself up into a sitting position and nearly overbalanced the other way. Seto glared, watching as he fumbled with the coffeepot and cup. He poured the hot coffee over the side of the cup on two occasions, but thankfully didn't drop the pot before he set it back on the tray. He picked up the cup and took a drink, his face scrunching up. Apparently he didn't enjoy the taste of it. Seto looked at him a moment longer before returning to his computer.

"Coffee doesn't help being drunk," Yami muttered from the couch.

Seto ignored him, fully aware of that, merely giving him something to do to stay awake and the caffeine would help, regardless. Silence reigned and Seto finished his report, having it printed before sending it in a bulk e-mail to the rest of the shareholders. A glance at the clock on the computer told it was almost eleven; they had to get going.

Yami was fast asleep on the couch. Seto shut off his computer and closed the lid before getting to his feet and walking across the room. Yami was sprawled out so much that one of his legs was on the couch all the way up to his ankle, his foot hanging out in the air. Seto hit it hard, which startled Yami awake. He moved around in clear disorientation, frowning up at him.

"Get up. We've got to get going on this."

Yami managed to hoist himself up. With over an hour passed since he'd been drinking, more if he'd walked here, he was at last recovering. He looked up at him with bloodshot eyes, but with a steady gaze. Seto put his trench coat on, a solid black one with long sleeves given the start of the winter season. Yami was still wearing his own coat and Seto opened his office door, heading out. Yami followed along after him and Seto headed down the stairs without looking back at him; if he fell down them drunk, it wouldn't be his fault. He hadn't given him the alcohol.

They made it out to the garage without incident and Seto took keys for his black Jaguar from the rack, deciding that it would be best to do this without the witness of even his own driver. Yami got into the passenger seat and slipped his safety belt on, getting it buckled in the third attempt. Seto buckled his own and started the car, hitting the automatic garage door opener installed into the dashboard and backed out.

"So do you have an idea or are you just dragging me out here half-assed?" Seto asked.

Yami was leaning against the passenger side window, his eyes closed. He nodded against it. "Yes. I know what I'm going to do. I need to stop by my apartment."

"No. I know you and I know you didn't tell Wheeler what you're going to do and I don't need him yelling at me--"

"I'm not going to tell him. No one is going to know what I'm doing for you, especially not Aibou. I know you're paying me to do this, but that's a condition. You're not going to tell them either."

"I don't want any of this advertised and the less I have to do with you and your friends the better off I'll be. I don't care to say hi to them much less get into details about being blackmailed into becoming a petty thief. You'd better tell me why you want to go to your apartment when we have less than an hour to do this."

Yami opened his eyes and raised his head, looking over at him. "I need to get the Millennium Items to help me."

Seto gritted his teeth and stared steadily out of the windshield. He had finally stopped fighting it and had accepted magick, but he still hated seeing it practiced. But if Yami needed the damn things and was so confident they would help, he wasn't going to fight it. He had thought up his own ideas, but in reality, he had to admit that magick would probably work better than technology, if just in this case. If Yami could somehow do something to keep people from knowing he was there, without messing with the equipment and therefore leaving evidence, then he wouldn't stand in his way.

He pulled up in front of the apartment building as Yami directed him, glancing up at it. It was a two-story building on the corner of a long line of them, looking small but a lot more expensive than he had expected since Yami was telling him they had no money. He guessed all that Yugi needed was what was draining them out. Apparently being a stripper paid pretty good.

A smirk curled his mouth that Yami didn't notice as he got out and walked up the three front steps to the door. He unlocked the front door with his key and entered. Seto sat in the car with mounting irritation and impatience. He was expecting Wheeler to be waiting up for Yami, and was expecting him to come flying out of the front door to bark his head off like usual, but in less than five minutes Yami was sliding back out alone, closing the door and locking it.

He returned to the car, his movements a lot more steady than before, and buckled himself in now on the first try. In one hand was the Millennium Ring and the Millennium Rod. Seto glared at them, but mostly the Rod, in hatred. He pulled away from the curb quickly, before the noise of the engine alerted Wheeler.

"He was asleep," Yami said as if Seto had asked. "Downstairs in the kitchen with his head on the table. He's been running himself all over trying to do all of this for Yugi and he couldn't keep himself awake to wait up on me."

Yami sounded sad and tired. Seto ignored that and drove as fast as he dared to the museum. He parked over a block away on the bar of the T-intersection the museum was the head of. It sprawled above the two dozen steps leading up to it, still lit despite being closed. Where he'd parked was between the streetlights, shrouded in darkness. He turned off the headlights, but left the engine on, the both of them looking through the windshield at the museum.

"Well? Get going," Seto said after a moment of silence.

Yami glanced at him briefly before opening the door and stepping out. He shut it and walked forward. As he was lit up by the beam of the streetlight, he abruptly disappeared. Seto blinked, staring at the place where he'd disappeared, though he was reasonably certain that he was no longer there. He hadn't expected that, though he knew that the Millennium Items provided powers to the users. He also knew that the Items worked for whoever owned them, though they could choose to disobey. The Rod had rebelled against Marik when he himself had been near, choosing to greet the Puzzle like a long-lost friend and show he and Yami both visions of the past.

Seto sat impatiently, watching the clock as the minutes slowly ticked by. It was sliding ever closer to midnight and if he wasn't there on time, he didn't want to know what would happen to Mokuba. Undoubtedly, Takanawa wanted him to be successful so that he could keep exploiting him as well as benefiting from the stolen property, but he was also looking for any excuse to hurt him, by hurting his loved one.

He watched the museum steadily except for his glances at the dashboard clock. Nothing appeared to be happening there. He didn't see a door open or lights come on or go off. Part of him worried that Yami had blown him off, but he knew deep down that he wouldn't. Yami had pride and integrity, and would see a promise through. He would also do anything to help his other half, which Seto had deliberately capitalized on to get what he wanted. But more than that Seto thought that Yami actually believed he should help him, that he should do it because it was the right thing to do.

Fool.

Seto was just about to give up on Yami and do it his own way when the air suddenly shimmered in front of the car, sending gooseflesh along his arms as Yami appeared, fading in from the darkness like a shadow had taken solidity. He watched Yami walk to the passenger side and get in, the Ring around his neck along with the Puzzle and the Rod tucked into his belt like a sword. Dangling from his fingertips was the necklace, an enormous and gaudy thing that glistened in the faint light from the streetlights.

As soon as Yami was in, Seto quickly turned on the headlights and roared away, taking the turn hard and heading for Kaiba Corp. as fast as possible. He had only ten minutes and he could guarantee that the 'associate' would be there on time. Yami sat silently in the passenger side, swaying with the movements of the car but not complaining.

Seto parked a half-block from the corporation building. It didn't look like there was anyone waiting on him yet, but he didn't trust that. He shut off the car and looked at Yami, holding out his hand. Yami set the necklace in his palm, his eyes scanning the night outside the windshield. It was like he hadn't been drunk at all.

"Stay here," Seto snapped, shoving open his door. "They don't know about you and you'd better hope they never find out."

He didn't look at him, quickly exiting the car and shutting the door, walking down the sidewalk to the front of his corporation building. A shadow detached itself from the recess of the front doors and walked towards him. It was a brute of a man, meant to intimidate, and if Seto had been anyone but himself, he may have been. The man stood several inches taller than he, was built like a linebacker, had a crew cut and a nasty scar on his face, tattoos up his arms, and the look of a person who liked to hurt for fun. A classic, cliche henchman.

"You're nearly late," the man said, holding up his watch. The digital read-out said 11:56.

Seto shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "But I'm not and here's the damn necklace."

He threw it at the man, who caught it as it bounced off his chest. He scowled at Seto, sticking the necklace carefully into his inner jacket pocket before cracking his knuckles threateningly.

"You'd better show some respect, bitch."

Seto looked at him steadily without lowering his gaze or showing any fear. He wasn't afraid. He didn't care about this silly goon or his threats. If he laid one hand on him, he'd break him in half.

The goon's phone rang. He held it up to his ear and answered it. "Yeah? Yeah, boss, he got it. Be right there."

He snapped his phone shut and glared at Seto. Seto kept his gaze on him, folding his arms over his chest and waiting. The goon stuck his phone back in his back and half-turned away.

"The boss'll be getting in touch with you again real soon, kid."

"I can hardly wait."

The goon sneered, fake-lunged at him, and growled when he didn't get a reaction. He turned and loped away, getting into a silver SUV with black trimming, roaring away down the street with the sound of a souped-up engine. He went right past Seto's Jag, but didn't pause or slow down, so he hadn't noticed Yami.

Seto returned to the car, finding Yami twisted around in his seat to watch the progress of the SUV that was now out of sight. Yami glanced at him before turning back around the right way. Staring through the windshield as Seto got in and shut his car door, he asked, "Will you take me back or shall I walk?"

Seto was tempted to tell him to do just that, but if he knew Takanawa was not finished with him and if he was going to need more stuff stolen, he was going to need Yami with him. He turned on the engine and silently drove Yami back to his apartment. Parking in front of it, he turned to him.

"How much?"

He pulled his checkbook out of his jacket pocket. Yami looked at it and a shadow passed over his face. He looked out of the passenger window, his voice rough. "Twenty thousand."

Seto blinked slightly, but only because he hadn't expected him to have the guts to ask for that much. He flipped open the book and started to fill it out. Yami directed him to put it under Wheeler's name, since he didn't have any legal status. Seto obeyed, before tearing off the check and holding it out to him. Without looking at him, Yami took the check and held it in his lap. His demeanor seemed defeated.

Smirking, Seto put the car back in drive. "You got your money, so get out."

Yami undid his belt buckle and jerked open his door before sliding out. He slammed the door shut and walked away, heading up the steps to his apartment building. Seto roared away before he had even pulled his keys out of his pocket, his smile fading away.

He had only stalled the inevitable. Takanawa was not going to be happy until he'd destroyed Seto for the wrongs he'd imagined. And Yami was only going to steal for him as long as he thought he had no other choice. If he got another idea, he'd be out of it, for the idea that Yugi would hate him if he learned what he was doing to get him walking.

Seto would have to decide what he was going to do to protect his family.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen:**

**Yami walked into the front room of the apartment, hearing Kaiba's wheels screech against the pavement behind him, and closed the door. He leaned back against it and slowly slid down it to sit on the floor. In his hand was the check for twenty thousand dollars, payment for theft. He was a thieving stripper who lied to his loved ones. Gods, where was his life going?**

**Immediately Yugi's face filled his mind's eye. He was the whole reason for everything, he had to remember that. Closer than a brother, less and more than a lover, Yugi was his other half, and he'd do whatever necessary to help him. **

**Yami raised his head when he heard noises from the kitchen and remembered that Joey had fallen asleep in there. He hurriedly got to his feet and folded the check in half, stuffing it into his coat pocket. He was still a little drunk, though his focus on his tasks had helped him sober up quickly. He already had the beginnings of a headache, and he was sure to pay for it later.**

**After hanging up his coat, walked forward into the kitchen, finding Joey standing up, the chair at a strange angle and it was pretty obvious that he'd slid out of it onto the floor. Joey was scrubbing his face, but when he heard Yami's steps on the linoleum, he glanced up. A smile spread across his face, as well as a look of clear relief.**

**"Yami, where're you been? I was getting worried. But..." He glanced at the clock on the microwave. "Oh, I guess I fell asleep." Now he also looked apologetic.**

**Yami forced himself to smile. "Of course you did. You were tired and stressed out. I'm sorry that I disappeared on you."**

**"Yeah... What happened?"**

**"Just... I went to the Fire Room, to ask Roger if I could pick up some extra shifts. He said no. So, I talked to Dana for a while. You were asleep when I got back."**

**All of which was the truth, but he still felt guilty for holding back the fact that he'd gotten drunk and gone to help Kaiba. Oddly, he felt more guilty of the former than the later. Whether or not he believed Kaiba, he'd asked for help. Yami had only done the thieving in order to get money for Yugi, but if there was some way he could help Kaiba get this Takanawa guy off his back, he'd do it.**

**Joey gave him a smile, a brittle one. Yami could hardly stand to see that look on his face. He reached out and took Joey's hand in his, pulling him along. Upstairs, they got undressed and crawled into Yami's bed. Yami lay on his back and pulled Joey into his arms, having his head resting on his chest. He stroked Joey's hair, looking out into the dark room without staring at anything in particular, listening to Joey's breathing gradually get deeper. He hadn't asked why Yami had pulled him in here; no doubt he understood.**

**"It's my turn, Joey," he murmured. "Let me take care of things." **

**********

**Yami woke the next morning, finding Joey still lying across his chest. He was pleased to see that he was sleeping that hard and he did nothing to wake him, sliding in stages out from under him until he could get up. Joey shifted around just enough to grab the pillow beneath his head and then relaxed again. Yami looked at him for a moment before putting a robe on over his pajamas and heading downstairs.**

**He was definitely hung over. His mouth was dry and felt fuzzy, and his head pounded, but he ignored it, walking through the apartment, not bothering to turn on the lights so as to keep everything in darkness and help his hang-over. The kitchen had no windows and was too dark to move around in, so he turned on the light over the stove, grunting slightly and closing his eyes as his head throbbed viciously.**

**The clock read half past nine as Yami got some water to help his dehydration. Knowing that that meant most businesses would be closed, he wouldn't be able to get in touch with the water and gas companies, and could only hope neither turned off their service before Monday when he would be able to get them the money.**

**On the other hand, the bank was open. He had Kaiba's check in his coat pocket and they needed to deposit it. With money in the bank, the companies couldn't deny them business. The only problem was that it was Joey's name on the check, and therefore he had to endorse it and deposit it himself. Which meant he had to know about it and where it came from.**

**Yami was still thinking about that fact when Joey came down from upstairs. He seemed much more like himself, grinning when Yami opened the refrigerator and withdrew some milk for cereal. It was about all they had, but it was still something to eat. **

**It was time to tell him, at least part of it. Yami stood and went to where his coat was hanging in the closet. He withdrew the check and returned to the kitchen, finding Joey looking at him in question.**

**"Did I say something wrong?"**

**Yami silently held the check out to him. Joey took it in one hand, raising his orange juice glass to his mouth at the same time. His eyes widened and he spat out the mouthful of juice. Yami grimaced and grabbed a napkin, wiping his arm.**

**"Sorry," Joey gasped, still staring at the check. "What the hell is this? It has the KC logo on it."**

**"Yes, I know. I have a new job with Kaiba."**

**Joey stared at him in disbelief. "What job?"**

**Yami thought fast, knowing he simply couldn't tell Joey the truth. What mattered was the money, nothing else. "Kaiba needs me to help him beta-test a new game he's developing, about Duel Monsters. A computer game."**

**Joey stared at him. But the thing about being truthful was that when you did tell a lie, no one believed you were doing it. He glanced back at the check in his hand. "Twenty thousand to beta-test--"**

**"I told him I needed the money for Yugi."**

**Joey looked up again and now he frowned. "Why would Kaiba care? That's a lot of money and he could get anyone--"**

**"He could get anyone, yes, but how many of them are the World Champions?"**

**That set Joey back. He fell silent, setting the check down on the table. "I guess that's true. Is it fun to play?"**

**Yami knew that Kaiba was going to need him to steal again until Takanawa was stopped, which meant more payments. Yami was going to have to take the money, as well. He faked a smile.**

**"Yes, but it's not finished. There's more I have to do."**

**"Well...that's cool, I guess. We do need the money. After I'm done eating, I'll go put it in the bank. With our checks next Friday, this'll take care of the bills. Even the backlog. Still, you can't trust Kaiba, Yami. Get a job where the boss isn't a total back-stabbing asshole."**

**Yami nodded his head. "I will be looking on Monday."**

**"Yeah, me, too." Joey glanced at the clock. "The bank and the post office both close at noon. I'll grab a shower, then I'll write some checks to the water and gas companies and mail them out after I deposit this. Want to come along?"**

**Yami shook his head. "No, thank you. I'll stay here and clean up. There's still dust and debris in the living room and we need to do the dishes." He glanced at the pile in the sink.**

**Joey smiled and stood up. "Okay, I gotcha."**

**He finished his cereal and put the bowl and his glass into the sink before heading upstairs. Yami took more time with his own breakfast, taking a second glass of juice and just sitting at the table. Joey came back downstairs, sitting down at the table to fill out the checks before standing up and kissing Yami on the top of the head before heading out. **

**Yami cleaned up the apartment like he'd promised before getting on his jacket, scribbling a note to Joey, and heading out himself. He briefly wondered what was taking Joey so long, but he wasn't that surprised he hadn't come back. No doubt, like himself, Joey wanted some time alone, away from the apartment, away from everything. **

**Yami took his time walking around downtown before he headed to the Fire Room for his shift. Dana greeted him as he came in, smiling even as she was clearly studying him.**

**"Hey, Hot Stuff. You left in a bad state last night. Looks like you got home okay."**

**"I did, Dana, thank you. Did Roger give you too much trouble over the drinks?"**

**"He did until I told him to back off. He's afraid of my brothers, you know it?" She smiled and tapped the jar sitting on the bartop labeled: Tips. "Got plenty to pay it off here."**

**"I'll pay you back."**

**"No, you won't, 'cause I don't want you to. Now go up there and dance, you're gonna be late."**

**Yami reluctantly left the bar and headed back into the dancers' quarters. Another dancer, a young man named Kyoichi, who had blond hair and brown eyes like Joey, was just getting off, changing into his street clothes. He smiled at Yami, then raised an eyebrow. **

**"Where's Joey? You two are pairing today, aren't you?"**

**Yami nodded, shrugging his shoulders. "Joey had some errands to run. He'll be here in a few minutes."**

**Kyoichi nodded and pulled on his jacket. "Okay. See ya."**

**Yami changed into his dance outfit for the night, waiting for Joey to show up. At five minutes past the time they were supposed to get on, Roger came into the back. He looked around, then frowned, looking at Yami. It was clear from the look on his face that he was angry about Yami's drinking the night before, and now Joey hadn't shown up for work.**

**"Why are you alone? You're supposed to be on together!"**

**"I don't know where Joey is. He was running errands, maybe he got stuck in traffic or lost track of time."**

**Roger glared at him. "Then you're dancing alone, I'm not having the patrons wait any longer. Get going."**

**He left the back room and returned to the front. His voice came over the PA and announced that Yami was dancing alone. Not having much choice, Yami gave one last look to the entrance door before walking out onto the stage. He ignored the patrons as usual, getting himself into the music and the dancing. Finally it was over and he quickly changed back into his street clothes. Joey was still not there.**

**Frowning, Yami went out to the bar. Dana's shift was over and she had left, but her replacement was there. Yami approached Andy, but the man hadn't seen Joey either. Roger came up to him before he could escape.**

**"Look, you two are the star attractions around here, so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. You've been on time and here almost every day for your shifts. But you only get so much grace around here. So when you find Joey, you tell him he'd better not be late for the next week or you're out, okay?"**

**Yami frowned at Roger. Nevertheless, he knew that he was only being a boss, and they were almost universally distasteful. And Yami hated the job. But it was the only one they had and they couldn't afford to be fired, not until they both had other jobs that paid at least as well. It was only for the fact that they got paid twelve dollars an hour to start with, along with whatever money the patrons felt like giving them, that he'd agreed to being a stripper in the first place.**

**"I'll tell him, Roger. Thank you."**

**Roger nodded and walked away. Yami shouldered his coat on and headed towards the door. As he was walking out, someone called for him to stop. He turned around to see one of the most regular customers coming out of the club. He was a taller man, about Kaiba's height, around forty or so, handsome and white-haired, who looked like he had to come from money. Yami had seen him many times, but he didn't know his name.**

**"Yes?"**

**The man smiled, his hands in his pockets, long coat buttoned up against the cold. "Hello. My name is Sentoryou."**

**Yami nodded, looking up at him. He didn't give his own name on purpose, waiting for the reason he'd been stopped. If he offended Sentoryou, the other man made no sign of it. Sentoryou jerked his head in a way that was indicative of walking with him. Yami reluctantly did so, heading down the sidewalk only because Sentoryou was going the same way he was.**

**"I've been a regular customer of yours for a while now, Shadow Flare. You're quite the dancer."**

**Now more tense, Yami nodded his head. "Thank you."**

**"I was wondering if you'd allow me to take you to dinner."**

**That, of course, was what Sentoryou had stopped him for. The man liked his dancing and was trying to get into his pants through the circuitous route of dating him. Yami stopped walking and looked up at Sentoryou, trying to keep his voice even and his words as tactful as possible.**

"**Thank you, sir, but I'm not looking to date any of my customers."**

**Sentoryou studied his face. "I'm not looking for a pro, either. I don't think you're a whore, Shadow Flare, that's not what I'm saying. This is legitimate."**

**Yami forced a smile on his face. "I'm sure it is, but I'm still not interested."**

**Sentoryou smiled, which was more unsettling than a scowl. He shrugged his shoulders, taking a few steps back. "Okay. But you know, I grew up spoiled, Shadow Flare. I always get what I want, eventually."**

**The words were innocuous and the threat clear, but Sentoryou continued to smile benignly. As Yami watched him warily, he turned and headed down the sidewalk in the other direction, getting into a fancy white limo similar to Kaiba's. The vehicle drove off and Yami turned around, heading for his apartment. Part of him figured he shouldn't return home right then, but he had no where else to go. His Puzzle was around his neck, the weight of it giving him confidence and comfort as usual. He didn't fear Sentoryou, nor did he really think the man would try to hurt him. More likely he was going to simply keep pressuring Yami until he went out with him.**

**Back at the apartment, he put Sentoryou from his mind and headed upstairs, hearing the water running from the bathroom. Joey was home, so why hadn't he shown up at work?**

**The door was open and he entered, his question dying on his tongue. Joey was leaning over the sink, bracing himself with one hand, while he dabbed at a split lip with a washcloth in his other. His eyes saw Yami in the mirror. One was already closing due to a deep bruise, and there were more punch marks on his jaw and cheek, the knuckles of both hands bloody, his clothes torn and dirty.**

"**Joey! What happened?"**

"**I got into a fight, Shadow, don't worry about it. I'm okay."**

**Yami came around to look up at him, studying him. Joey gave him a crooked smile, wiping the washcloth carefully over his battered face. **

"**How did this happen?"**

"**You know me, I can't keep my temper. Somebody called me a fag, I jumped him."**

**Yami wasn't sure how that person would know Joey's sexual preferences, but it was quite true that he would throw punches rather than let slights roll off his hide. He gestured for Joey to sit down on the lid of the toilet, studying his wounds. They didn't look too bad.**

"**Did you win?"**

**Joey gave a short laugh, wincing a little. "Yeah. Was Roger too mean?"**

"**No. But he did tell me to warn you that if you don't show up again, you're fired."**

"**No surprise."**

"**Are you sure you're okay?"**

"**Fine."**

**Yami nodded, deciding to let it go. Joey was Joey, he was always looking to fight first. "Want some dinner?"**

"**Sure. I got a few things at gas station when I stopped to get some gas. I'll be down in a minute."**

**Yami headed downstairs, just in time for the phone to ring. He picked it up, carrying the cordless handset into the kitchen with him, opening the refrigerator to see what they had to eat while he answered.**

"**Hello?"**

"**Yami, it's Kaiba."**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen:**

**Seto rolled out of bed fairly late for him. It was Saturday, and he had no work to do at the office, though he did have other things he'd planned on doing. Seto Kaiba never let himself stay idle. **

**He got up and showered before getting dressed and heading down to breakfast. His cook was just setting out the breakfast dishes on the table; she knew his routine. She'd made him a cheese and sausage omelet, strawberry canapes, and home fries with gravy and he sat and ate it with more leisure than usual, reading the front page and business sections of the paper. **

**Finally he got up and got his coat, leaving the house to head over to the hotel that Mokuba and his bride-to-be were staying at. After having them paged, he waited with some patience down in the luxurious front lobby for Mokuba to join him.**

**"Hi, Big Brother," Mokuba said cheerfully as he got off the penthouse elevator. **

**Marianne was with him. She was a very pretty young woman, with hair that was neither red nor brown, dark green eyes, and a small scattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose. She was rather tall for a woman, but with a figure that any straight man would appreciate. Her only real flaw was a small, half-moon scar no bigger than the indentation of a pinkie nail on her chin. According to Mokuba she was quite into the latest fashion and was now wearing a yellow dress beneath a fluffy white fur coat, high-topped black boots, and a necklace of pearls that no doubt cost several thousand dollars. She smiled warmly at him. Despite her cold, rich-girl appearance, Seto had never met a friendlier woman.**

**"Hello, Mr. Kaiba," she said respectfully. "Good morning?"**

**He nodded, striving to stay polite when he really wished that Mokuba had come down alone. His brother was looking at him curiously, but even if he could see the impatience in him, which he probably could after so many years, he didn't seem ready to ditch his fiance. Seto resigned himself to the fact that they came as a pair now. He gestured towards the in-hotel restaurant through double doors leading off from the side of the lobby.**

**"Join me?"**

**Mokuba looked surprised while Marianne smiled happily. "Of course," she said. "We'd be delighted to."**

**Seto walked with them over to the restaurant, sitting down with them at a small table near the window. Mokuba sat down across from him after pulling out the chair for Marianne, his grey-blue eyes concerned and suspicious. They had barely touched their butts to the seats before a waitress had come over; the restaurant and hotel were both known for their excellent service. Marianne and Mokuba both ordered breakfast while Seto only asked for coffee, having just eaten.**

**"What's up, Seto?" Mokuba prodded after the woman had walked away.**

**Seto wasn't about to tell Mokuba about Takanawa and that mess. His brother was going to be married in little more than a month; he didn't need more stress than the upcoming wedding was already sure to give him.**

**"I have an idea I wanted to see if you thought was a good one."**

**Mokuba's eyebrow lifted before a smile spread over his face. This was the first time Seto had given him real weight in the matters of Kaiba Corp, aside from his shares in the company. He was a man now, and Seto was sure he wasn't making a mistake.**

**"I'd been noticing some shoddy dueling recently and an idea came to me yesterday. Someone needs to teach the next generation how to do it right. Teach, as in a school."**

**"A dueling school?" Mokuba asked, looking thoughtful. **

**"Yes. We'll screen adult duelists from around the world to be teachers, find some location for the school itself, and educate kids who want to be duelists."**

**"I think that sounds like a wonderful idea," Marianne said with a smile. **

**"Yeah..." Mokuba said more haltingly. "I mean, there'd be a lot of planning going into it, but Kaiba Corp. needs another big thing to boost itself, doesn't it? You tell me what to do, Big Brother, and I'll do my share. I'm totally in."**

**"You could start by finding us the location. I'll handle the funding and advertising. We'll need to get at least a dozen teachers, if this is going to be a real school."**

**"Maybe you could make it a summer boarding school," Marianne said, taking a sip of her sweet tea. **

**"Great idea," Mokuba said with a loving smile at her. "Yeah, with bunkhouses and everything. Hey, Seto, how about making some inter-school challenges? Like, I don't know, having houses battle each other."**

**Seto took another sip of his coffee. The waitress brought out his tablemates' breakfasts and he let them get started on it while he thought. Houses battling each other? That was a thought. But how to select who went to what houses? There had to be a system. Having too many houses would be pointless, but he would also need an uneven number to keep it fair. Three? Now he'd need to name them and figure out the selection process. But the ball was rolling and that was all that mattered.**

**Mokuba and Marianne finished their breakfasts before long. Mokuba agreed to keeping it to three houses and promised he'd get to finding the perfect location for the school on Monday. Marianne gave Seto a warm smile and even kissed him on the cheek. Mokuba was looking at him over his shoulder, his expression more worried than pleased. Seto pushed aside the immediate impulse to growl at her. He stood up and forced a smile on his face, relieved that it felt at least somewhat sincere.**

**"My parents would like to be here next weekend, if that's okay," she said. "Thanks for getting them here."**

**"You're welcome, Marianne."**

**Mokuba was now smiling brillantly. Seto knew how important it was to him for them to get along. And he had to admit to himself, she wasn't entirely insufferable. **

**The couple split off from him outside on the sidewalk and headed their own way, as Mokuba said to start picking out things for the home they would have. Seto watched them depart for a moment before getting into his car and driving in to the office. He had planned to take the day off, but with the idea in his head, he would rather get started on it than have nothing else to do.**

**He entered the building and headed up to his office, ignoring the greetings of his secretaries. Entering his office, he settled down in his chair and turned on his computer, pulling up Kaiba Corp's financial records and then getting on the Internet to search for government grants and rules for opening schools. He got a couple of numbers to call and immediately called them, making appointments to talk about jurisdictions and the proper licensing. **

**After the last call, Seto hung up the phone and glanced at the clock, mildly surprised to see it was already six o'clock. He smiled to himself, pleased that the day was almost over. He had stood up and was putting on his coat when his phone rang. With a frown, he reluctantly picked it up, knowing before he heard the voice who it was.**

"**Hello, Seto," Takanawa said cheerfully. "I wanted to thank you for the necklace. My wife found it very lovely."**

**Seto gritted his teeth as he sat back down. So he had committed a felony to provide jewelry for that bastard's slut? Gods, this was stupid. He knew who Hiroshi Takanawa was, now if he could only find where he lived, he'd be happy to destroy him. But he was a mobster, so therefore he was likely to have a fake address on any government documents. Still, it was a place to start.**

"**Are you there?"**

"**I'm here. What do you want me to say, you're welcome?"**

**Takanawa chuckled, and there was the sound of something metallic shifting, like a chair's axis had a squeak. "You have quite the mouth and it never seems to get tired of spouting quips. But I didn't call just to chat about the weather. I must admit, I'm impressed. I didn't think you'd be able to pull it off. I know you're a computer whiz or something, but that doesn't make stealing from a top-notch museum a cakewalk. Now I want to see if lightning can strike twice."**

"**You want me to steal from the same museum again?"**

"**Yeah. On October sixteenth, Domino Museum is going to be hosting a gala to commemorate fifty years. They'll be parading out their as-yet-unseen prizes to be ooh-ed and ahh-ed over by all of the fanciest penguin-suits and their trophy wives. So here's what you're going to do. The gala is from six until one. There will be an exhibit in the west Wing main room, third stop on the tour. Take the main attraction from that room and bring it to your office at midnight."**

"**Wait a minute. You didn't tell me what the object is and you want me to steal it while everyone's there?"**

"**Don't you like challenges? I don't think you can do it, kid, that's why I set these parameters. Imagine the headlines, Seto Kaiba caught stealing from the museum while attending a social function."**

"**Sounds like I'd be stupid to do it. And now I have to attend this function?"**

"**You can always say no, kiddo. And get your brother's eyeballs in the mail."**

**Seto clenched his fist so hard his nails drew blood from his palm. "Whatever."**

"**Good boy. Buck is looking forward to seeing you again."**

"**Buck being your...associate? That sounds like a name worthy of that pea-brained, muscle-bound moron."**

"**I see you're already fast friends. I can't wait for the seventeenth, let me tell you. I'll either have another priceless artifact to add to my private collection, or opening my morning paper to the front-page story of scandal in Domino."**

**Seto snorted over the phone. "I guess we'll see. Can I go now?"**

**He hung up without an answer. He was pushing it, but that was what he did. He leaned back against his chair and closed his eyes, rubbing the bridge of his nose. If only he could think of how to find this bastard, he'd settle it once at for all.**

**But until that happened, he'd have to play by Takanawa's rules. He would have to go to this gala. He was sure that Takanawa would probably have someone there to make sure he showed up. And he would have to steal this main exhibit. And for that...**

**He snatched up his phone, dialed information, and got Wheeler's number. Hopefully the right person would answer. **

"**Hello?" **

**It was Yami. Glad for at least some good luck, Seto just steeled himself for it.**

"**Yami, it's Kaiba."**

**There was a very long pause. Finally he heard a sound like a door closing and Yami spoke again.**

**"Okay. What do you need now?"**

**Seto took a deep breath and told him everything that Takanawa had told him. "So I need you to be there at the museum at that stupid party and steal the exhibit like before."**

**There was another silence. "No."**

**Surprised, Seto frowned. "What do you mean, no?"**

**"The sixteenth is the day that Yugi comes home. I will not leave him to go steal for you."**

**Seto growled softly. At least he was used to playing dirty. "Then I guess you've stripped for horny, old men enough to pay for everything?"**

**Yami growled back at him and Seto smirked. He waited through the silence, knowing before it even happened that Yami was going to give in. He was really rolling in the mud for this, but he had to protect his brother and Yami would do anything for Yugi. The only hang-up was Yami's sense of morality, and he knew from experience that only held up as long as Yami's friends weren't in danger.**

**"Very well, Kaiba," Yami said tightly. "Aibou has surgery on the sixth. So this time you will have to pay first."**

**"Fine by me. I know I can trust you to follow through. That's the thing about good guys like you, once you give your word, you won't go back on it. People like you can't." **

**There was yet another pause, the shortest yet. "I will meet you at the museum."**

**"This is a black-tie event. Get yourself a suit or something. Show up like your usual S&M self and everyone'll know you gate-crashed and you'll be out on your ass faster than you can blink."**

**The phone's dial tone sounded in his ear.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen:**

**Yami woke up at four a.m. the morning of the sixth. He lay in bed and looked up at the ceiling for a long time, knowing that there wasn't a point to being up yet. Yugi wasn't to go into surgery until one in the afternoon, but he just couldn't sleep. It was so hard, just lying there and knowing that Yugi would be lying on an operating table, knocked unconscious by drugs so that he could be cut open by knives.**

**Yami jerked the sheet back and got up, heading downstairs and into the kitchen. For a moment he gripped the sink, half-afraid he was going to throw up, but there was nothing in his stomach to bring up. Dinner last night had been grilled cheese sandwiches. Yami had eaten half of his and claimed feeling sick so that he could give the rest to Joey. **

**He lifted his head and turned to the refrigerator, opening it to grab the jug of orange juice. He finished it off and threw the jug away, but now he was wide awake and he just couldn't go back to sleep.**

**He grabbed the pen and pad and wrote a note to Joey before grabbing his coat and heading out. It didn't matter he was walking around in his pajamas, he just had to move. He walked for an indeterminate time before finding himself on the other side of the city, not far from a gas station. Needing to warm up, he headed inside and relished the heat washing over his body, browsing the aisles in order to keep up appearances. Sticking his hands back in his jacket pockets, he felt/heard the crunch of paper and withdrew what was left of the twenty Joey had given him last week for his lunch. His stomach rumbled and he gave in, knowing he'd need to eat something soon.**

**In preparation for the working class that would be making use of the gas station in about half an hour's time, the clerk had set out breakfast sandwiches in a warming display and there was coffee brewing. Yami picked up two of the sandwiches, one for himself and one for Joey, and started to pay for them when the cooler for beer and other alcoholic beverages caught his eye.**

**Before he knew it, Yami was back on the street with the breakfast sandwichs in one hand and a case of beer in the other. He headed back to the apartment, eating his sandwich on the way. Joey had not yet woken up and after throwing away the note he'd written and placing Joey's sandwich in the refrigerator, Yami went upstairs, stuffing the case of beer into his closet, but not before taking out one of the cans. He sat on the edge of his bed and drank it, mulling over what Kaiba had told him a few days before.**

**This was going to be a trifle harder, but he already had a plan. He'd go to the party and then slip away to the restroom, use the Ring to turn invisible and skip ahead of the group to the west Wing, steal whatever was in the case, and leave the museum while still invisible. The alarms were sure to go off, but the rest of the party could be harrassed by the cops and searched while Yami merely walked out. It gave him no small amount of pleasure at the thought that Kaiba would have to go through being searched as well.**

**Kaiba was going to have to make a move on this Takanawa man and soon. The bastard was not going to be happy with just toying with Kaiba for long. **

**And there was Yugi. Yami would have to leave him in order to do this stealing. He hoped he could come up with an excuse so as not to hurt Yugi's feelings. At least Joey would be here to stay with him.**

**Yami took another can and drank it as well. Modern-day beer was a lot stronger than the beer he'd been used to back in Egypt, and he was glad for it. The buzz he was getting was making him feel better. **

**He glanced at the clock. Six-thirty. The minutes were ticking by for the surgery. After this they would know for sure what Yugi's future was. The surgery could make him worse and the chip-procedure would be out of the question, and Yami couldn't bear to think about how Yugi would react.**

**He just stopped himself from taking a third can. He'd had enough and he'd do better to try and get more sleep. **

**Downstairs a door shut. Yami straightened up, instantly alert and wary, no matter the buzz in his head. He slid out of bed and into the hallway, sneaking down the stairs with one hand holding his Puzzle. The light suddenly came on and the intruder yelped.**

"**Yami! Damn it, Shadow, do you realize how much that nickname suits you?"**

**Yami glared at Joey, who was breathing hard. Joey had on his jacket, which meant he hadn't been upstairs in bed at all.**

"**Where have you been?"**

**Joey bit his lip, sliding off his jacket and hanging it up. "I...went for a walk, okay? I know I should have left you a note, but I thought I'd be back before you woke up." **

**Yami sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Actually, I did the same thing."**

**Joey looked at him sharply. "You did?"**

"**I walked across town and stopped at the gas station on nineteenth." He waved his hand at the kitchen. "There's a breakfast sandwich for you in the refrigerator."**

"**Oh." Joey relaxed, looking pensive. After a second a smile spread over his face. "I'll just get a shower and then I'll eat it. You should go back to bed."**

"**I don't think I'll sleep anymore," Yami said truthfully. **

**But he turned and headed back upstairs. Lying down in bed, he listened to Joey taking his shower before the other went back downstairs for the sandwich. Looking up at the ceiling in the resumed silence, Yami wished not for the first time that he could take everything on himself and shield Yugi and Joey from it. **

**********

**Yami awoke hours later, sitting up with a start as Joey shook him again. The blond jerked back, then smiled apologetically.**

"**Sorry. It's ten o'clock."**

**Yami looked at the alarm clock and saw that it was true. He hurriedly got out of bed, changing his clothes. It would take two hours to drive to the center, and he'd promised Yugi he'd be there before his hikari was taken back into the operating room.**

**The drive up there was tense and silent. The nurse was someone they'd never seen before, and she led them back to Yugi's room, where he was sitting up, anxiously flipping through a book. He looked up when they entered and smiled widely, throwing the book on the side table and reaching for Yami to hug him as he came up.**

"**Hi, Yami," he said.**

"**Hello, Aibou," Yami said, hugging him tightly. Yugi felt less thin than he had the last time. **

**Joey hugged Yugi as well. "How you doin', Yug'?"**

"**I'm okay," Yugi said. He was clearly nervous, but he smiled. "I'm glad you guys made it."**

"**Of course we made it," Joey said, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "The end of the world wouldn't stop us."**

**Yugi laughed. "If the end of the world happened, I wouldn't need my surgery. How are you guys?"**

"**Fine," Yami said automatically.**

"**We've got the whole apartment ready," Joey said. "So you'd better be ready to say goodbye all your fans here at the center on the sixteenth; you're coming home with us."**

"**I'm looking forward to it," Yugi said earnestly. **

**The next half hour was spent with idle chatter as they all tried to stave off the anxiety of the impending surgery. At last the nurses came for Yugi, switching him to a wheeled gurney. Yugi lay back on it, his eyes on Yami and Joey as the nurses wheeled him out.**

**//We'll be right here,// Yami promised.**

**/I know you will be./**

**Yami remained in mental contact with his hikari until the nurses had placed the anesthesia mask over his face and he had faded away into unconsciousness. Joey must have been atune to Yami's body language because he reached over and squeezed his shoulder. Yami put his hand over Joey's as they sat there on the empty bed, waiting. **

**Eventually a nurse came to tell them they had to wait in the waiting room, as policy. They were led to the waiting room by her, which was a spacious area with surprisingly comfortable upholstered chairs, tables laden with magazines, and vending machines. Yami sat down in one of the chairs, while Joey roamed around the room. So they spent the next several hours, Yami sitting tensely in his chair while Joey alternately roamed and sat to read. **

"**Yami, you should get up and stretch," Joey said eventually, turning away from the vending machines he had been inspecting. "You'll cramp."**

**Yami looked up, breaking out of his thoughts. He took Joey's advice and stood up, stretching himself out. Joey came over and rested his hands on his shoulders, looking him in the eyes. **

"**Hey, are you okay? I mean, really?"**

"**Better than Aibou right now," Yami said hoarsely.**

**Joey smiled in a way that wasn't really a smile. He pulled Yami against him and hugged him. Yami hugged him back, resting his cheek on his shoulder, staring at the wall. Joey's hand rubbed his back, so soothing, but he just couldn't take his mind off the fact that Yugi was lying belly-down on a table, men with knives digging into his back.**

"**It's gonna be okay," Joey whispered, swaying them a little. Yami thought Joey was speaking to himself as much as he. "Yug's gonna be fine. Haven't we seen how tough the guy is?"**

**Yami nodded against his shoulder without speaking, so grateful for Joey's comfort. Finally he straightened up and pulled away, smiling. Joey let him go, smiling back at him, then gestured towards the vending machine. **

"**What do you want? I don't know how much longer it's going to take. We should probably have a little something."**

**Yami decided not to argue. He looked at the choices and finally agreed to a small salami sub and a coke. Joey got himself a turkey and ham sub and a coke as well, sitting down beside him while they ate. Once the food was finished, Yami had nothing to distract himself with. He hated the silly gossip magazines strewn about and there was nothing else to do. Joey suddenly came up with an idea, asking the nurses at the surgery wing station if they could have a pad of paper. She gave him a pad of yellow sticky notes and a pen and Joey spent a few minutes making a deck of playing 'cards' with the stickies, sticking two together back-to-back so they could be moved without sticking to anything else.**

"**There," Joey said, pulling the table closer to the seats. "Come play with me, Shadow."**

**Yami looked down at the deck, almost wanting to say no, but knowing that Joey was just trying to help, and that Yugi would probably want him to distract himself from worry. He smiled and accepted the cards Joey dealt him. He quickly told him the rules of Rummy and they played. Joey won the first hand and afterwards Yami destroyed him, his observational skills and quick reflexes aiding him. **

"**Ah, man," Joey groaned after Yami had won the sixth hand in a row. "Okay, new game."**

**He told him the rules of War and they played that. Unlike Duel Monsters or Rummy, there was no skill necessary and only luck let someone win. After they'd played that, Joey taught him some card tricks. Yami enjoyed those; they were like magick without being magick. **

"**Mr. Moto, Mr. Wheeler?"**

**Yami looked up, seeing a doctor he'd never seen before standing there with a clipboard. Yami jumped up, dropping his sticky-cards down. Joey came around the table, standing next to him.**

"**Yes? Is it Ai--Yugi?"**

"**The surgery was a complete success and Yugi is in recovery."**

**Yami let out his breath. Joey whooped, laughing happily. "When can we see him?"**

"**Not for a little while." He glanced at the clock above the nurses' station. "It's after six. You really should go home."**

"**N--But we wanted to see Yug'."**

"**It may be several hours before he wakes up. I'd really recommend you go home, get some rest. You can come back tomorrow at nine to see him."**

**It was clearly now an order. Yami sighed unhappily, but he knew better than to argue. Joey looked like he was about to attempt it, but Yami put his hand on his shoulder and tugged. **

"**Thank you, Doctor. We'll be back tomorrow morning."**

**Joey reluctantly came with him and they headed outside to the car. Back at the apartment, Joey started frying some fish for their dinner while Yami snuck out to the living room and picked up the phone. He dialed the Kaiba Corp. number and was finally patched through to Kaiba.**

"**Yugi's surgery was a success," Yami said by way of greeting. **

"**Uh-huh. And how much do you need now?"**

**Yami took a deep breath and said, "A hundred and fifty."**

**He expected Kaiba to balk at that amount. Instead, Kaiba merely grunted. "It's your job to get the check."**

"**I'll be there at the Corporation tomorrow."**

**Kaiba hung up on him. Yami set down the phone back down in the cradle and settled back into the couch. Joey came to find him there, the scent of freshly fried fish preceeding him. He sat down next to him, looking at him in concern.**

"**You okay?"**

"**Yes."**

**Joey wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him to lean against him. Yami shifted until he was more comfortable, resting his head back against his shoulder, his back against his ribs. He sighed heavily and closed his eyes. Joey's arm dropped to around his waist.**

"**How do you deal with this stress so well?"**

"'**Cause I've got you and Yug' to look after," Joey said with a hint of teasing in his voice.**

**Yami smiled with his eyes closed. Before he even knew it, he'd fallen asleep. He woke some time later, still snuggled up against Joey, who had fallen asleep as well. He woke when Yami did, sitting up and stretching.**

"**Man, I guess we were tired," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "The fish'll be cold."**

"**I'm not hungry, anyway."**

"**Yeah, me either." He grinned at the incredulous look on Yami's face. "I'll just stick it in the fridge."**

**Yami headed upstairs and dressed down for the night. He lay in bed, staring at the closet door for a long time, hearing Joey use the restroom before heading into his own bedroom and shutting the door. After a while Yami pushed back the covers and opened the closet door, pulling out a can of beer. He drank it, telling himself that he would back up Yugi one hundred percent if he wanted to go through with this chip procedure now. **

**Setting the empty can back in the case, Yami turned off his light and went to bed.**

**tbc…**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen:

Seto tapped away at his computer, before settling back in his seat with a growl. No matter what he did, he couldn't track down Takanawa. He had tried the DMV, the police database, even daring a hack in the federal database and he couldn't get any more information on Takanawa that he already had. Just his name, his family's names, and the fact that he lived in Japan. There were no entries under the DMV, so his driving must be done by someone else. The police station database did have a file where he had been the suspect in three murders and any number of other illegal activities, but nothing had been pinned on him. His address listed there was a fake; Seto knew for a fact that that building had been demolished over five years ago. The police database had nothing past ten years ago, when Gozaburo had died. As for the federal, he only got past one firewall before his computer warned he was being tracked. He'd backed out immediately, knowing that they hadn't had enough time to trace his computer, but he should be cautious.

"What?!" he snapped as his phone's intercom beeped.

"Um, a Mr. Moto is here to see you, sir," his secretary said hesitantly.

He'd forgotten that Yami was coming. He didn't want to deal with him, but avoiding him would piss him off and he was going to need him in a few days' time.

"Send him in."

A couple of minutes later the door opened and Yami walked in. He was dressed like usual, wearing black leather pants and jacket over a purple shirt, collar around his neck and cuffs around his wrists. He looked pale and tired, and more than that, stressed. Seto looked him over for a second before pulling his checkbook out of his jacket.

Yami came up to the desk, silent as Seto wrote out a check. Abruptly he said, "That money is for Yugi's surgery, his recovery, and the next month at the center. It only goes to his care." He said this in a rush as if Seto had accused him of using the money for himself.

"I don't care," Seto said, signing his name with a flourish.

He tore off the check and held it out. Yami took it, started to fold it in half, then noticed the name. He looked up, holding the check back out.

"It has to be under Joey's name."

Seto lifted a blank, unsealed enveloped from the side of his desk and tossed it towards Yami. He picked it up and opened it, letting three cards and a piece of paper slide out into his hands. Seto watched him look over the driver's license, social security card, Kaiba Corp. I.D. card, and birth certificate paper in his names. He lifted his eyes and stared at Seto in surprise. "What--"

"The thing about me is that I think of every scenario at once. You've lied to Wheeler, haven't you? You didn't want him to know that you were a thief for me, you told me that, so you had to tell him something about why you were getting checks from me. What, you're on my payroll?"

Yami nodded his head. He looked back down at the cards in his hand while Seto continued.

"If you want that to continue, I doubt only your word is going to be enough. So there's a I.D. card in your name, and some fake I.D.s in your name so you can use the bank on your own. I do not want to deal with Wheeler, so I'm making sure I only have to deal with you."

Yami looked up at him again before putting the cards back into the envelope and putting it in his jacket, along with the check. "They're counterfeit. You could get into trouble."

Seto snorted, looking down at one of the many reports on his desk. "I know what I'm doing."

Silence reigned. When he looked up again, Yami was gone.

******

As the days passed and the sixteenth rolled closer, Seto began to get more agitated. It seemed this asshole was untraceable. Following every possible computer route had given him nothing and he was running out of options. Takanawa was never going to be stupid enough to come to Seto directly, and just taking it out on Buck or whatever his name was wasn't going to help him any. He had to get to Takanawa himself, but to do that would take too much time and was too dangerous. But what other route was there?

Oddly enough, TV gave him the answer. On one of the rare occasions that Mokuba had stayed the night at the mansion, he'd been in the living room watching TV when Seto came home from work. Some silly detective show was on and the main character was stalking an unfaithful wife for the husband who had paid him. At first Seto paid no attention to the TV, mind on Takanawa as it had been since this whole mess started, but finally the show got through his preoccupied thoughts and an idea occured.

A detective? It sounded ludicrous, but what else was he going to do? Trying to do this on his own would get Takanawa's guard up, but a third party might just work.

So, the morning of the thirteenth saw him managing to get in touch with a Domino P.I. who simply went by the name Li. He was a Chinese immigrant who had been living in Japan for the past thirty years and knew the customs and speech as well as Seto did. Now just shy of forty, he had an office down on Canal Street near the boat docks. He seemed initially surprised that Seto would come to him, but after hearing what Seto had to say, he smiled.

"That would be no problem, Mr. Kaiba. Takanawa's been under the radar lately, trying to rebuild his lost empire of the contraband weapons market, but there's still plenty of whispers. You want to know where he is, I can find him. But it's dangerous work."

Seto glared at him. "Money is never a problem for me, as long as you get the work done."

"Then I'll take...fifty grand. Half now, half when you know where he lives."

Seto didn't like dealing with this sewer rat, but there really was no alternative. He was being watched at his office and his mansion and for all he knew, followed. He'd taken several measures not to be seen coming here and since it was a hole in the wall that smelled like fish, he seriousy doubted Takanawa would ever suspect.

Seto wrote a check to Li's P.I. company and left. He saw nothing out of the ordinary as he got into his BMW and pulled away. There were no stopped vehicles on the curbs and the only other buildings anywhere near Li's operation were two warehouses with no windows.

Now all he had to do was wait and hope Li came through for him.

******

The sixteenth dawned a bright, sunny day. The museum gala was scheduled at six, though Seto wasn't even going to show up until nine. He'd read the pamphlet the museum had set out and the tour wasn't even going to begin until then. The first three hours were going to be nothing but speeches about the museum's history, its future, and what it could do with the donations the wealthy citizens of Domino could give.

Seto hadn't been in contact with Yami since he'd stopped by on the seventh and he could only hope the little bastard would keep his word and show up. Yugi was supposed to be coming home from the hospital sometime today and Seto could picture Yami staying with him like they were glued together.

Li had given him regular updates, but nothing at all useful. Takanawa was still a hard-to-find fucker, but Li was confident. Late last night he'd left a message on Seto's work phone stating, without naming names, that he had it and would be meeting Seto at two the next afternoon to deliver all he had on Takanawa and collect the rest of his pay.

When he didn't show up, Seto knew something had gone wrong. He left work at four; with October almost half-way finished, the night came early. It was almost twilight as he stepped out of the main doors and started for his limo. A sudden screeching of tires made him pause and look up.

A nondescript black sedan jumped the curb right in front of him and the back door opened. Before Seto could do much more than step back automatically, someone was shoved out of the backseat and the car roared away, the back door pulled shut by a hand as it went.

As his driver flew out of the limo and came running up and two of his bodyguards from the ground floor came pelting out of the front doors to see what was going on, Seto looked down at the body lying at his feet. Li lay face up on the sidewalk, a bullet hole glaring from his forehead. His eyes looked blankly up at Seto, a look of fear and surprise forever etched into his features.

"Mr. Kaiba?" one of the bodyguards said uncertainly.

"Get him taken care of," Seto said shortly. "Don't say anything about this to anyone, is that clear?"

"Y-Yes, sir."

Seto stepped around the prone body and headed back to his limo. His driver hesitated a second before getting into the driver's seat and taking off. Seto leaned back against the leather seat and closed his eyes. The image of Li's face remained behind his eyelids. But more than that had been the message. Li's torso had been bare. Cut with a knife into his chest were the words: We Are Always Watching.

tbc…


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen:

Yami awoke late on the sixteenth, which surprised him. Usually when something was happening with Yugi, he woke in the dark hours of the morning and then lay about thinking about all of the horrible things that could happen to him. Today he was coming home and he'd slept past nine.

Perhaps it was because Yugi was safe this time. His hikari was coming home to stay, no longer in need of a hospital and with the last surgery a success, he was safe.

Yami got up and headed into the bathroom, taking a shower and getting dressed. He headed downstairs to find Joey in the kitchen, cooking eggs and ham on the stove. With the new money that Yami had gotten from Kaiba, they'd had plenty of money left from their own paychecks to buy groceries and for the first time their fridge and pantry were full. Yami had been adamant on that so that Yugi would be well taken care of when he got there.

He also didn't want him to know how he and Joey lived their lives, no money and little food, in order to take care of him.

"Hey, Shadow."

Yami smiled as he sat down at the table. "You have become quite the cook."

Joey snorted as he scooped the eggs and the ham onto plates and set them on the table while Yami got up to get orange juice out of the refrigerator and some glasses. They sat down and served themselves, eating comfortably. The mood was greatly improved for both of them. They had been working towards this moment and now that it was here, they were both relieved and relaxed. Yami still had his promise to Kaiba to fulfill later, but he wasn't going to let it weigh on his mind and ruin Yugi's return home. They also still had a lot of explaining to do to Yugi, about being strippers, but that could come later as well.

After they ate, it was time to head up to the center. Yugi was to be released at one, and it would take a couple hours to drive up there. On this drive, they were far more chatty than they had ever been, though the topics weren't always happy.

"Should we tell him?" Joey asked. "How do you think he'll react?"

"I don't know." Yami had been protesting that he wasn't ashamed of stripping in order to pay for Yugi's care, but he was. Being a stripper was degrading, without pride or dignity and he had once been a king, a warrior. And Yugi would be horrified that they had been forced to stoop to that level in order to afford his recovery. He had no idea how he would take the news.

His unhappy thoughts all but vanished when they entered Yugi's room. His aibou was sitting up in his bed and he looked almost the same as he had before the accident had even occurred. They hadn't seen him since the seventh, the day after his surgery, on suggestion of the doctor in order to let Yugi pull through from the operation without the unintentional stress of visits and outside news. They'd obeyed, Joey especially reluctantly, and stayed away.

Now, however, Yami got a good look at Yugi and his heart soared with happiness for the first time in a long time. Yugi had gained back several pounds since the operation, which filled out his cheeks again in the same cutely rounded face he'd always had. It also helped a great deal to make the scar across his left cheek less noticeable. Though he was sitting down with the blankets up to his waist, Yami could see that his body looked much healthier than it had. His color had improved and his hair shone like before. Except for a little bit of circles beneath his eyes and a couple of tiny stress lines around the corners of his mouth that had never been there before, it was hard to see just how bad he'd really been.

//Aibou, you look great,// Yami told him as they hugged. //You have recovered so well in just a week.//

/I guess knowing I was coming home to you guys helped,/ Yugi said, smiling.

"Hiya, Yug'," Joey said with a slightly thick voice as he got his own hug. "Want to come suffer through Yami's cooking or are you too attached to...Tess'?"

Yugi laughed. "To get out of here, I'll endure losing Tess' apple pie."

"Honey, you won't have to endure it for another little while at least."

They glanced up. Clearly, Yugi had a little going-away party waiting for him. Tess herself was walking into the room, holding the sort of wicker basket one would expect a pie to be in. With her were the front-desk nurse whose name Yami had forgotten but now could see was Susan from her nametag. There were two other women, both of whom Yami had never seen before, but judging by their almost gym attire they were Yugi's physical rehabilitation nurses. Their names were Ai and Kiko. A male nurse whose tag read Tsaka and Dr. Ashford completed the group.

"You all came to see me off?" Yugi asked in surprise.

"You don't often get a patient as nice as you," Susan said.

"Sorry that Rosie couldn't make it," Ai said. "She wishes you luck."

"Her sister's baby is perfectly healthy, though," Kiko added. "She's named Suri."

It was clear that Yugi had plenty of friends here at the center. Yami and Joey stepped back so that the women could hug Yugi in turn, Tess putting the delicious-smelling basket on the table beside the bed. Dr. Ashford turned to them, lifting a page on the clipboard he was holding and reading an entry quickly.

"Yes, everything seems to be in order for Yugi to go home. His back has healed well from the surgery and he's recovered a lot of his strength. Just make sure--and Yugi, it's your responsibility--that he isn't overstressed by anything. Take it easy for a little while longer, Yugi, but make sure you get some fresh air and exercise. Ai and Kiko will be taking turns stopping by during the weeks to continue your rehab and I want you back here for a check up...on the third of December...four o'clock. If everything seems to be as good then as it is now, we can discuss that chip-procedure in full, okay?"

Yugi nodded his head, looking eager to go. Tsaka moved his wheelchair right up to his bed and, despite the mildly embarrassed look on his face, lifted him down into it. Yami knew from experience that hospital policy required a patient to be wheeled out by someone no matter how well they had recovered. Dr. Ashford wrote on a piece of paper and handed it out to Joey. Yami lifted the wicker basket off of the table and the group moved out of the room and down the hallway to the receptionist desk where Susan quickly got the form for Yugi to sign indicating his release from the center. Dr. Ashford co-signed it and it was done.

Tsaka wheeled Yugi outside and let go, letting Yugi take over. The group stopped just outside the doors and waved enthusiastically as Yugi, Yami, and Joey headed down the walk to the parking lot. Yugi exclaimed in delight over the car, before helping himself into the backseat. Joey stood awkwardly, obviously unsure if he was supposed to help or not, but Yami knew not to offer. Yugi was just as self-reliant as he was.

Wheeling the chair over to the open door, Yugi locked brakes before gripping the handlebar with his arm behind his back and the other arm gripping the doorframe and hauled himself over the side of the chair and into the car with his legs hanging outside. Another push against the seat to turn himself around and he was in. Joey folded up the wheelchair and put it into the trunk while Yami walked around the other side and put the pie on the floor in the front. He got into the backseat with Yugi, who smiled at him, shutting the car door and buckling himself in.

Joey got into the front and started the car. He turned to look at the two of them and grinned broadly, pulling a very bad Cockney accent. "Where to, guvnor?"

Yugi giggled, before surprising them both by mimicking a much better English Uppercrust accent. "Oh, home then, Jeeves, there's a good chap."

Joey and Yami both laughed and Yugi joined them. Yami had not felt happier in over a year.

******

They got back to the apartment. Joey pulled the wheelchair out of the trunk and put the stops on the wheels while Yugi levered himself out of the car and into the chair. He turned around, letting out a surprised breath, grinning as he looked up at the two-story apartment.

"Wow. This is yours?"

"Ours," Joey said firmly.

Yugi rolled up the ramp and it held perfectly. Joey unlocked the front door and they entered the apartment. They gave Yugi a quick tour of the apartment, showing him the living room, kitchen, and laudry room on the ground floor--because of the elevator, Yugi couldn't fit his wheelchair in the hallway leading to the laundry room, but they'd already known that--and then rode up the elevator to the second floor, where the three bedrooms and bathroom were. Yugi looked around what was to be his room, seeming content with the white sheeted bed, dark wood dresser, and violet curtains on the single window.

"How ya doing, Yug'?" Joey asked, making Yugi turn his head to look at him. "I mean, you know, really?"

Yami watched Yugi carefully. He smiled a little, nodding his head. "Yeah, Joey, I am. I'm..." He looked down at his legs and the chair. "I'm used to it by now."

"Well, don't worry. If you want that chip-thing, Yami and I'll be behind you a hundred percent."

"I agree, Aibou."

Yugi smiled brightly, nodding. "I do want to do it."

"Well, we only have to wait until December," Joey said. "It'll fly by."

"Yeah..." Yugi looked pensive for a moment before smiling. "Um, I'm kind of hungry. I was so excited coming home I couldn't eat any lunch."

"No problem, Yug'. What do you want to eat?"

They headed downstairs where Yugi decided he wanted macaroni-and-cheese, hamburgers, and mashed potatoes, saying almost shyly that he'd missed his favorite foods. Tess had been a great cook, but she had to stick to a hospital schedule and there were no special orders. He insisted on helping and peeled and sliced the potatoes for the pot, while Yami cooked the hamburgers and Joey got the macaroni and sliced potatoes boiling. Yugi stirred in the cheese sauce and Joey mashed the potatoes while Yami got the hamburgers on buns and set them and the condiments on the table.

They had a nice dinner. Yugi did seem rather at peace and they caught up on everything that had happened, except, of course, the most important thing. Joey kept looking at Yami, who shook his head so only he could see. Yugi had just gotten home, he didn't need to know this yet. Either Joey expected him to know when the right time was or he felt just as ashamed as Yami did, for he didn't push it.

After dinner they went into the living room and merely watched TV together. Yugi sat on the couch between Yami and Joey, and towards ten o'clock, he was clearly tired. He was leaning heavily on Yami, his eyes mostly closed. Yami gently shook his shoulder.

"Aibou, maybe you should go to bed."

"But I want to stay up with you guys."

"You heard the doc, Yug'," Joey said, getting to his feet. "Besides, I'm kinda beat, too. I'll probably be heading to bed here soon."

"Yes, me too," Yami lied. "Tomorrow, why don't we go to the movies?"

Yugi smiled sleepily, moving himself into his wheelchair. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Do you have to work tomorrow?"

"Not until nighttime."

"Oh. Yeah, where?"

"Ah, a club," Yami said hesitantly.

"Really? That's cool. Maybe I could go with you tomorrow."

"Yes, perhaps." Yami glanced briefly at Joey before they went upstairs.

Yugi insisted he'd be able to do everything by himself, so they said goodnight and left him alone in the room. Joey followed Yami into his bedroom, raising an eyebrow.

"Is he coming with us?"

"I...don't know. We will have to tell him eventually. Let's sleep on it and decide tomorrow. He might be too tired by eight to come with us."

Joey nodded and started to leave. Yami stopped him, though he knew he had to get ready and sneak out to meet Kaiba at the museum. It was already a quarter past ten. It didn't matter whether the group would be on the tour or not by the time he got there. Whether he stole the exhibit before they got to that room or after wouldn't change a thing.

"Joey, do you want to tell him?"

"Honestly? No. We know Yug'. He isn't going to like it."

"I don't think so either, but what choice do we have? We don't have the option of just quitting. Neither of us have managed to get other jobs yet."

"True, but we don't have to earn as much as we did, 'cause Yugi's not at that center anymore. We can just take whatever job we can get."

Yami nodded and finally they said goodnight. Yami waited until he heard Joey's door close, then changed into the suit he'd secretly bought a few days before. It fit well, but he hated it. He was used to wearing buttonless shirts and pants, not buttoned-up dress shirts with suit jackets and ties. After putting pillows beneath the blankets to make it look like he was under the covers, he got on the dress shoes before getting the Millennium Items. Putting the Ring around his neck, he disappeared and walked silently out of the apartment.

Once outside, he turned visible again and took a cab to the museum. Kaiba had received an invitation to the gala, two tickets that said he could bring along a date. He'd given the other ticket to Yami inside the envelope with his fake IDs and the irony was almost amusing. He, Kaiba's greatest rival and now impromptu employee, was his date to the museum gala.

The museum was ablaze of glittering lights. Yami stuffed the Ring down the front of his shirt, retightening his tie, wishing he could have his Puzzle with him, but the other Item wouldn't fit beneath his shirt without creating a bulge and wearing it would draw attention to himself. The Rod he put in his belt beneath his suit jacket. Walking up the front stairs, he took his ticket out of his wallet and held it out to the guard, who checked it and let him in with no problem.

The main foyer of the museum had been transformed for the party. Two enormous tables were laden with finger foods and uniformed attendants walked through the crowd with glasses of champagne. Yami was happy to snag one, sipping it while he walked through the group and looked for Kaiba.

There he was, standing by himself near one of the tables, though he wasn't eating. He had his own glass of champagne, wearing a dark grey suit with a azure tie that set off his eyes. He raised an eyebrow as Yami approached, his eyes briefly flicking over him.

"What do you know, you can wear normal clothes," he said by way of greeting, taking a drink of his champagne. "Instead of looking like a bondage slave, you almost look like a respectable person."

Yami ignored the barb, sipping his own glass. His let his eyes wander over the crowd, seeing a multitude of the richest, most well-dressed example of Japanese society, mingling over shrimp puffs and canapes. He wondered if Takanawa could possibly be there. When Kaiba had told him everything he knew about Takanawa, he mentioned that the only picture of the bastard was over twelve years old. If he was here, they probably wouldn't recognize him.

Still, Yami was sure he had shown up. A guy like that would probably enjoy seeing Kaiba fidget. Yami mentioned this to him.

"You're in a dilemma," he said. "If you disappear, thus making Takanawa think you did it on your own, the people here will realize that and tell the police. If you don't, he'll know you had help."

"He can know I had help as long as he doesn't know who, so get lost."

Yami walked away, weaving through the crowd, surreptitiously watching his fellow guests, though no one stood out as possibly being Takanawa. There were several older gentlemen, but none whom struck him as a cruel, unscrupulous person. There were several men far too old for their girlfriends, who may have had shady dealings, but he was fairly certain that Takanawa was not present after all.

He decided that he'd better get this underway. He set his empty glass on an attendant's tray and was just about to head into the bathroom to use the Ring when a hand landed on his shoulder, startling him.

"I thought that was you," a rich voice murmured. "I'd recognize that beautiful hair anywhere."

Yami slowly turned around, looking up. Sure enough, Sentoryou was smiling down at him, hand resting lightly on his right shoulder. Yami realized for the first time that Sentoryou's eyes were mismatched. His right was brown, while the left was half-brown and half-green. He was momentarily fascinated, having never seen anything like that before, and the mistake was made. Sentoryou thought that his interest was in him himself.

"I have a bit of a tough decision to make," he said softly, finally removing his hand. "I apologize for the insult, but I would be highly surprised if you had received an invitation for this party, Shadow Flare. I don't think they usually give them out to exotic dancers. So, on the one hand, I should alert security, it being the right thing to do. On the other hand, what's so wrong about letting a pretty thing like you enjoy a party?"

Yami gritted his teeth. Sentoryou was both condescending and flattering and he'd dearly love to tell him off. Still, doing so would anger him and get Yami thrown out. Nevermind that he did in fact have a ticket in his wallet; Sentoryou would only have to tell them where he came from and he'd be removed. Gods, his pride was in shreds.

He smiled winningly. "Well, I hope you'll lean towards the other hand."

Sentoryou smiled back, eyes briefly flicking over him. "I think I am. You do look good in a suit, that's for sure. Tell me, Shadow Flare, are you still holding up to that not-dating-customers policy?"

"I, uh..." He should just say yes.

Sentoryou's smile faded but he didn't look angry, merely disappointed. "All right. But I'm not giving up entirely. Enjoy yourself."

"Hey, Sen! Over here."

A man about Sentoryou's age, standing with a small group, was waving towards him. With one last look at him, Sentoryou looked relieved to have an actual excuse to leave. Yami was relieved as well. He slipped away into the crowd and wound his way into the bathrooms. His meeting with Sentoryou had left him a little upset. It was clear that he had been truthful, he wasn't going to give up on him easily.

Yami pulled the Ring out of his shirt and disappeared, slipping back out into the hallway. The group had moved, now heading in the opposite direction of the west Wing and he wondered if the tour had been in two parts. Either way, it worked in his favor. He walked silently down the hall and up the stairs to the west Wing's main exhibit.

He stopped, looking inside in dismay.

It was an Egyptian exhibit.

tbc…

A/N: So I guess Natoya is the only one who can review, with a few exceptions.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen:

Seto continued to slowly sip his glass of champagne after Yami had finally walked away. This was as ludicrous as any other party he'd ever been to, full of silly stuffed-shirts and their sillier arm-candies that only stayed with them for diamond earrings and shiny cars. He would have gladly walked out if it weren't for Takanawa. Bastard. At least he had Yami to help him out of this mess, irritating as that was.

Speaking of Yami, that was a shock. He would have never pictured him in any sort of proper dress, but he was here in a suit. Not bad, really. Like Seto had told him, he almost looked like a person.

Yami had disappeared, which was a good thing. It meant he was getting whatever it was that Takanawa had wanted. They'd agreed Yami would leave the museum after grabbing it and meet him in his car parked in the visitors' lot to hand it over. Seto had driven himself and parked himself so that there would be no one to see this happen.

The curator of the museum appeared behind a podium on the other side of the room to announce that the second leg of the tour was to begin, heading towards the east wing. Now would be a good time to get out of here, since he wasn't the only one leaving. Two couples had already called it an early night and another businessman with silver hair was just now saying goodnight to his party and heading out alone.

He set his glass down on an attendant's tray and headed out himself. The man with the silver hair was still saying goodbye to his friends, but he did nod towards Seto as if he knew him. Seto ignored him and headed out to the lot. His car was parked at the far end and he got inside, turning on the motor and letting the heater begin to warm up. It was a bitterly cold night. Winter was almost upon them and it wasn't even November yet.

He had to sit there for over a half hour before Yami suddenly popped into existence in the headlamps. Seto was ashamed to admit to himself that he jumped.

Yami opened the passenger door and slid inside. Without even glancing at Seto, he stared straight ahead out of the windshield. His demeanor was stiff and upset. But he was holding something in his hand, so at least he'd been successful.

Seto held out his hand. Yami didn't move or look at him, still looking out through the windshield. Seto frowned and tapped his hand. Without turning his head, he opened his hand and Seto lifted up the object. He saw that it was an eight-inch high statue of a woman with a cat's head.

"The goddess Bastet," Yami said in a thick voice. "The gentle patron of children. I have stolen her image."

Seto glanced over at him. Yami had made himself steal something that at once had been in a temple in Egypt. It was his goddess and he clearly still believed in her, or at least what she represented. That had been a hard thing for him.

Seto set the Bast statuette in his lap and put the car into gear. It was a quarter of midnight and he was going to cut it close, just like last time. In fact, he might not even make it this time. At least the streets were deserted at this time of night, making driving at a quick speed easy.

He pulled up at the curb in front of the Kaiba Corp. building. Yami sat as still and silent as ever. Leaving him there, Seto got out. Buck was there and he made the hand-off. Buck grinned at him.

"You're becoming so good at this fetch, boy."

Seto just stared at him as usual. Buck growled angrily, visibly shaking. He clearly wanted to hit Seto, but he wasn't allowed to; no doubt Takanawa had told him he couldn't. After trying to stare Seto down for another moment or two, his gaze swept the area around them as if checking for witnesses before he turned away, heading towards the same silver-and-black SUV as before, taking his phone from his pocket as he did so. Seto stood and waited until he had gotten into the SUV and roared off before returning to his own car.

Yami was still sitting there, now with his eyes closed and leaning back against his seat. He didn't move when Seto got into the car, but he doubted he was asleep. Oh, well, he wasn't disappointed he didn't want to talk. The drive to the apartment building was silent but when Seto finally pulled up to the curb, Yami opened his eyes and looked over at him.

"What have you done in order to rid yourself of Takanawa?" he asked.

Seto didn't particularly want to tell him about Li. The guy had died trying to help him and Yami might decide to ditch him out of fear for himself. No, that wasn't right. Yami wasn't afraid of death or pain, something about him Seto had always respected. But the death or pain of his loved ones, Yami feared very much.

"I'm working on it," he said finally.

Yami got out of the car without saying anything else and headed up the front steps. Seto watched him for a moment before putting the car back into gear and driving away as the door shut.

******

The next week passed without the slightest peep out of Takanawa and with all of the communication from him dried up, Seto's chance of finding out where he was had gone down the drain. In fact, if the asshole was smart, he would have moved around while doing this. No mob member stayed in one place for long.

His birthday on the 25th of October was, as usual, no big deal. He hated celebrating birthdays and Mokuba's only effort to mark it was to present him with a gift of a new trenchcoat. It was solid black on the outside and sapphire blue on the inside, made of a very heavy cotton with a silk lining to stave off the cold of the winter. The hem of it brushed the tops of his shoes, just like he liked and he was content to switch his white one for it immediately. It was a perfect fit.

"Not bad," he said. "Thanks."

The phone rang. Seto picked it up automatically to the gravelly voice of the current bane of his existence. He put his hand over the bottom of the phone and looked at Mokuba.

"Something wrong?" his brother asked. "You looked pissed."

"Something I've got to take care of."

"Okay. Anyway, I'm late to pick up Marianne. See you later, Big Brother."

Seto put the phone back to his ear. "What the hell do you want now?"

"To wish you a happy birthday, kiddo. You're what, twenty-three?"

Seto was silent. Not a good thing that Takanawa knew stuff like this. His silence didn't upset the older man at all.

"You're getting to be such a big boy. Now, usually you get presents on your birthday, but I think this time you'll give one. At midnight tonight my assistant is going to be wanting some diamond earrings from the Suki Galleria."

"I am going to find you. And when I do--"

"When you do, I'm sure I'll regret it, wish I had never been born, blah, blah. Until then, a new tradition begins, birthday boy. Let's see you pull it off with no warning, especially with all of the publicity over the museum."

Seto slammed the phone down and sat down in his chair, putting his head in his hands. After a moment, he dropped his hands, picked up the phone, and made a call. His security manager promised he'd get right on it and after that, Seto placed his second call.

"You've got to be kidding," Yami said. "Again?"

"I've got things going on to find him, but I need time. Are you going to do it or not?"

There was a long silence before Yami sighed heavily. "Meet me at the Galleria at eleven. I'll get the earrings."

The Galleria was silent and dark when he arrived a couple of hours later. Yami materialized out of the shadows, leaning up against the brick wall. He moved away and walked towards the car, getting in. He held out his hand, showing a pair of drop diamond earrings about two inches long in length. They glittered in his palm. Seto started to pull away, but Yami stopped him.

"Don't bother, I'm--"

"Are you drunk again?"

Yami looked over at him. He was very drunk, bleary-eyed and flushed, his breath almost enough to give Seto a contact-buzz. He leaned backwards, frowning in disgust and wondering how he had pulled this off. He suddenly realized that he hadn't; he could hear a faint buzzing in the background.

Red and blue lights began to flash behind him. "Shit!"

He put the car in gear and gunned the engine, roaring away down the street. He took three turns in quick succession, looking into the rear-view mirror, pleased to see that none of the police cars were following him. He'd managed to dodge them.

"What the hell? Why did you get drunk before you started on this? You could have gotten caught!"

Yami shrugged his shoulders. He had fallen against the inside of the door when Seto had made the last turn and hadn't straightened up since then.

"I got in through the back, smashed the case, and got the earrings. Isn't that what you wanted?"

He held up his other hand and Seto saw that he was bleeding. The red trickled down his arm and he watched its progress with blurry eyes, looking unconcerned. Seto frowned at him, wondering what the hell had gotten into his head. He turned his eyes back to the road and headed for the Kaiba Corp. building. The switch was made without a hitch and Seto dropped Yami off at his apartment. His clothes were now spotted with blood from his sliced hand, but he said nothing about it. Seto wrote him a check for fifty-thousand, even though he hadn't asked for any specific amount and had to stuff it into Yami's jacket pocket since he didn't seem to notice. He still didn't move.

"Oh, for goodness sake."

Seto got out, went around the car, opened the door, and hauled Yami out. He dragged him up to the front of the building and knocked hard on the door. After a moment it was opened by Yugi. He was in a wheelchair and Seto stopped for a moment to stare at him, forgetting what he was doing. So it was true, he really was crippled.

"Yami! What happened? Kaiba, what--"

"Got drunk, fell down," Seto said shortly, shoving Yami into the apartment. He stumbled and hit the floor, which only helped his lie. Yugi wheeled backwards quickly, turning around and putting the stops on the wheels, leaning forward to try to help Yami up. Seto didn't bother to wait, just pulling the door shut and walking down the front walk. He didn't get away clean, however.

"Kaiba? What the hell are you doing here, you asshole?"

Seto glared at Joey, but didn't deign to respond, just getting into his car and driving off. Let Yami's friends take care of him.

After that, nothing happened day after day. He was beginning to get suspicious and a little worried. Takanawa had to be planning something. The second museum heist had gone off without a hitch, and the papers were still running stories about it. The curator of the museum had upped security after firing the first security manager for letting two thefts occur in the same month and the most expensive and rare artifacts were no longer on display. The chief of Domino police had no leads or clues and the case had been put aside in the wake of homicides and other crimes. Li's murder had made the papers, but there were no clues to that either. At least Seto's involvement had been listed only as the discoverer of the body.

He didn't enlighten them.

At last the first of November came around. It was getting extremely cold and grey, but the snow had held off so far. Mokuba had been scrambling around to get the last plans for his wedding ready and Seto hadn't seen him in over a week. He'd told him to take all the time off he needed. At last Mokuba came in to his office, plopping himself down on the leather couch. Seto saved his work and stood up, moving over and sitting down in one of the armchairs.

"Marianne's parents are coming in on the eight o'clock. Make it for dinner?"

"Yes." Her parents had returned to England a couple weeks prior to take care of business, but were coming back to Japan for the wedding. "Have you decided yet where you want the ceremony?"

"Yeah. Marianne wants it there at that Sakura Blossom Inn. She decided last night. The bridesmaids are wearing those ice-blue dresses with the pearl necklaces. And don't worry, I told her there's no way you and her brother are wearing the blue suits."

Seto nodded his head, though it was a moot point. If she had wanted them to wear those ridiculous ice-blue suits with the pearl buttons to counterpoint the dresses like she'd originally wanted, he would have put his foot down, his brother's fiance or not.

"Did you make a single decision in this?"

Mokuba grinned ruefully. "She is kind of taking it over, isn't she? Nah, I got my own choices. The choices on the menu are chicken, steak, and maui maui. White zinfadel and dessert is going to be that caramel tiramitsu."

Seto nodded again. "I'll make the reservations at the Sakura Blossom. Where are you going for your honeymoon?"

"First, Paris and then Hawaii and we'll finish up in Kyoto before we head back to Oxford for the week before college."

"Sounds like everything is taken care of."

"Well, mostly. Her parents are giving us a house up there in Cambridge so we don't have to live on campus."

"Yes, and the blue BMW and the red Jaguar will be flown in the day before you get back."

"Thanks a lot, Seto. I'll let you get back to work. Icho still needs me to make a couple of decisions on the interior decor for the redesign. This is taking forever."

Seto smirked, standing up and heading back towards his desk while Mokuba left the office. That was why he didn't bother with silly decisions like that. They never ended.

It was almost half past ten when the phone rang. With immense trepidation, he lifted the handset. It had been so long since he'd heard from Takanawa, he'd hoped the old bastard had kicked off on his own.

"Kaiba."

It wasn't Takanawa, it was Yami. Not much better. "What? You don't get paid if you don't do work."

"I'm at the Fire Room. You need to get here immediately. It's important."

"What on Earth is so important--"

"Just get here! I've got to go." Yami sounded rushed and upset. "Hurry."

The phone was hung up.

tbc…


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty:**

**Things were swinging wildly from good to bad. Yugi was home, healthy as could be expected, and the three of them seemed to have fallen back to the same pattern of comfortable friendship from before, as if they hadn't been separated by a year's time of stress and pain. But on the other hand, there was still his obligation to Kaiba, his and Joey's job that Yugi must soon learn about, and Yami's new suspicion that there was something going on with Joey lately was beginning to weigh on him. **

**It had started the previous night. Thus far they hadn't had to tell Yugi what sort of club it was they worked at as Yugi quickly tired out during the day and wasn't up for accompanying them to work like he wanted to do. The luck wouldn't hold, but both he and Joey were grateful for it while it lasted. In the meantime, they'd been looking for other jobs, hoping that they could get others and quit the Fire Room without even having to tell Yugi about it at all, but there hadn't been any luck in that.**

**Last night, he'd stayed up late, reading through the literature that had finally arrived in the mail from the center about the chip-procedure Yugi wanted. Much of it was hard for him to understand, going in depth with technological phrases that no one but a tech would understand, but the procedure itself he was getting the gist of. He could have waited until the next day to read it, but after going to bed, it had itched at him until he'd gotten up and gone downstairs into the kitchen to start on it. **

**********

**Now it was after one in the morning and he'd finally finished. Laying the thick pamphlet book down, he rubbed the bridge of his nose. It still sounded dangerous, but he knew that Dr. Ashford wouldn't attempt it if he thought the risk was too high. **

**The front door opened. Yami opened his eyes and waited in the kitchen as the door shut. He knew it was Joey; he could sense his presence with the aid of the Puzzle. What was he doing out so late?**

"**Ah!" Joey yelped when he came into the kitchen and saw Yami there. "What?"**

"**I could ask you the same thing. Did something happen?"**

**Joey's eyes shifted away from him to the fridge and he walked over to it a little stiffly. "No. I just like my walks anymore, you know? Good way to clear my head."**

**Yami really wanted to believe that, but he knew in his heart something was wrong. Joey was not a good liar. His face was far too open for that and he knew he was lying right then. He got up and walked over, slowly pushing the refrigerator shut. Joey straightened up and turned towards him with the obvious air of someone who didn't want to do that.**

"**Joey, what is going on with you? This is not the first time you have disappeared in the middle of the night. That is not a normal time to go out walking."**

"**Well, it is for me--"**

"**What is this?" Yami reached into Joey's shirt pocket and pulled out what had been sticking out. It was a small wad of money, mostly fifties and twenties. Joey tried to snatch it back but Yami moved his hand back. "What is it?"**

"**N-Nothing. Money. It's for paying the bills, you know that."**

**Yami looked up at him, frowning. "We pay the bills with checks."**

"**I-I've paid a few with cash. Look, it's really late, I should be going to bed."**

**Yami watched as Joey snatched the wad of money out of his hand and started out of the kitchen. Joey hesitated a moment, glancing back at him.**

"**Look, Yami, it's nothing to worry about."**

**Yami folded his arms and frowned at him. "You keep saying that. Joey...is it drugs?"**

"**What? No!" Joey came back over to him, looking down at him. "Yami, come on. I'm not on drugs, or selling drugs, or anything like that. I promise."**

**When Joey said it like that, it could be nothing but the truth. But that didn't change the fact that there was something else going on. Looking up at him silently, he just watched as Joey left the kitchen and headed upstairs. He turned back to the table and picked up the pamphlet. He wasn't innocent himself, but that didn't change the fact that he didn't want Joey getting into anything illegal just to make this work. **

**********

**And their luck had run out earlier this night. Yugi had finally pressed for details about their job while they were cleaning up from dinner.**

**"I think it would be really neat to go see the bar," he said cheerfully, putting his dishes in the sink.**

**"Um," Yami glanced at Joey for help.**

**"Actually, Yug', that's probably not a good idea."**

**"Why?" Yugi asked. "Oh...are there stairs?" His expression fell.**

**"No," Yami said hesitantly. "It's just...what we do--"**

**"Yug', Yami and I are strippers," Joey said with all his usual finesse. He was just doing what they both wanted to, and just get it out and in the open.**

**"I--What?" Yugi looked between them, his automatic smile fading. "Y-You're joking...right?"**

**"No, Aibou. I wish we were, but we aren't."**

**"We had to, it was money for the center."**

**"So this is my fault?" **

**"What? No! Yug', that's not what I..." Joey broke off helplessly, looking at Yami.**

**"Aibou, nothing is your fault and there's no fault at all. Joey and I took the employment because it paid well and we needed the money. It is not...a bad job. And now that you are here home, we are looking for other jobs. It is no big deal."**

**"I...really need to think about this."**

**He wheeled backwards and turned around towards the rest of the apartment. Joey looked really upset. He came around the table, trying to stop him.**

**"Yugi, please, don't be upset. It's really nothing."**

**Yugi looked over the edge of the wheelchair, looking like he was trying to smile. "I know. I'm not mad at you. It's just, you know, weird."**

**He wheeled out of the kitchen and they heard the hydraulic of the elevator going up. Joey returned to the table, sitting down in one of the chairs with a thud and a sigh. Yami sat down as well, putting his head in his hand. He knew they should be happy it hadn't been worse, but he still hated this. Yugi was upset, no matter what he said. He could sense it.**

**//Aibou, please, do not blame yourself for anything. Nothing is your fault and--//**

**/I know, Yami. Really. Goodnight./**

**********

**That had been the night before. Yugi had been still awkward over breakfast, but he hadn't ignored them. Neither he nor Joey pressed him to talk about it, knowing that it was best for him to think it through himself first. Hopefully he would come to grips with it.**

**"Goodbye, Yug'! I'll see you later tonight!"**

**"'Bye, Joey, 'bye, Yami!" **

**Yugi was upstairs with his rehabilitation nurse, Ai. Thanks to their hectic schedules, neither he nor Joey had the time to help Yugi with his rehab themselves, so the nurses still came by to do it themselves. They seemed happy enough to see him and the reverse seemed true as well, so Yami was happy to pay for it. Since the last check Kaiba had given him hadn't gone immediately to the center, they had quite a bit in the bank waiting to be used. As Yugi's chip-procedure was still on the horizon, he knew it wouldn't last.**

**It was time for he and Joey to be at the Fire Room. They were pairing at first, then Yami was on alone, pulling what was considered a 'double-shift'. Joey would come back to help Yugi get dinner after Ai left. They had tried to get their schedules done so one of them was at home with Yugi at any time.**

**At the Fire Room, he and Joey got dressed in their outfits. Joey had a new act for the two of them and he was dressed in a solid black outfit except for WildFire stenciled in scarlet on the back. Yami was in pure white with Shadow Flare in black. It was a switch from their usual deal of Yami in dark clothes.**

**Getting their props, they headed out onto the stage. The music started and they started their dancing. Yami, in the white clothes, acted more shy compared to Joey, in the dark clothes, like the act went. To balance it out, Yami had a chain in his hands, which he swung over his head while he swayed to the music. He whirled it over his head with one hand, working off the buttons from his shirt off with the other hand, then shrugging it off his shoulder. He switched the chain to his other hand, shrugging the shirt off from his other shoulder and letting it his the floor. Then he wound the chain around his naked torso, caressing his hands along his skin.**

**The customers of the Fire Room were cheering as usual. Yami looked at Joey, who was also bare-chested and had his own prop--a whip. He was cracking it, garnering a lot of attention. He suddenly turned to Yami, mimicking him and winding the whip around his body, coming forward. Yami met him and turned his back to him, beginning to grind against him. He raised his hands over his head, dropping down to his knees before coming back up, running the full of his body against Joey's. **

**Joey grabbed his waist and spun him around to face him, grasping his rear-end and jerking him up against him. More cheers that they both ignored. There was a bright light in Joey's eyes and he was grinning. He caressed his hands along Yami's ass before putting his hands against his chest and pushing him. Yami walked backwards until he hit the pole. **

**Joey unwrapped the whip from around his torso and grabbed Yami's hands, tying them together to the pole above his head. The cheers were the loudest yet.**

"**Joey..." Yami hadn't been expecting this. "What are you doing?"**

"**Improvising, Shadow."**

**He turned his back and, like Yami had earlier, began to rub his ass against Yami's pelvis. Grinning over his shoulder at him, he raised his hands over his head, mimicking him. Yami grunted softly, closing his eyes as the friction ran up his spine. Joey reached back to grab Yami's hips backwards, holding him steady.**

"**J-Joey, I d-don't think this is the right place--"**

**Yami's protests fell on a deaf ear. His pants were getting constricted by the erection he was failing to suppress. Joey gave him another wicked grin, beginning to grind against him in a series of jerky movements, mixing up the movements. **

"**Joey," Yami rasped desperately, his hands tightening into fists. "Stop."**

"**No way," Joey said. His eyes were manic. "Come on, Yami. Stop resisting."**

**He tilted his head back and kissed Yami hard on the mouth. The whistles and catcalls were thunderous, but Yami wasn't interested in that. His mouth invaded and the constant rubbing pushed him over the edge and he groaned muffedly, coming hard in his pants. Joey rumbled in answer, slowly stopping his movements, but not pulling back, only turning around without breaking the kiss and bringing his hands up to cup Yami's face.**

**Joey finally drew back, grinning to himself. Yami's hands slowly uncurled and he opened his eyes, his body thrumming. Catching his breath, he glared at him, though he was hard-pressed not to smile. Joey untied his hands, letting him free from the pole. His legs trembling, Yami stepped forward, letting Joey take his hands and turn him, putting him back-to-chest with him. Running his hands over Yami's chest and along his thighs, he walked with him towards the back of the stage to loud clapping.**

**Yami turned towards him and glared once they'd gotten behind the curtains, though Joey's wide smile didn't lessen a fraction. **

"**Head spinning?"**

**He laughed as Yami pushed him out the way so he could get cleaned up. Joey changed into his street clothes, watching as Yami changed into his outfit for his second dance in fifteen minutes. He bent forward and kissed his cheek. **

"**See ya, Shadow. I'll be back to pick you up when you're ready."**

"**Where did that come from?"**

**Joey shrugged his shoulders, putting on his jacket. "What was it you said a little while ago? Forget for a while?" He grinned and pecked the end of his nose. "See ya."**

**Yami shook his head as he watched Joey leave by the back door as usual. As he had fifteen minutes, he wandered out from the backstage and went to the bar. Dana wasn't working, so he just sat by himself and drank some water. Since his last episode of heavy drinking when he'd gone to steal the earrings, he'd not had another sip of alcohol. His hand had healed from the cuts, but it was Yugi's horror and concern of him arriving home drunk and bloody that had done it. He'd bought the falling down with Kaiba seeing and bringing him home story, but that only made Yami feel guiltier.**

"**Hello, Shadow Flare."**

**Yami just stopped himself from groaning and turned his head to see Sentoryou standing beside him, smiling down at him. He returned it reluctantly.**

"**Hello, Sentoryou."**

"**That was quite the show." **

"**Thank you." Yami took another drink of water. "I, ah, have another in a few minutes."**

"**Yes, I know." Sentoryou sat down on the next barstool. "I know you think I'm stalking you, but a good businessman never lets up easily."**

"**Until he gets that deal."**

"**Now, now, let's not be mean. That makes you sound cheap. Come on, Shadow Flare. What's one date? I might be the best boyfriend you'll ever have."**

**Yami wasn't sure exactly what to say to that. He smiled jerkily and took another drink of water and got to his feet. Sentoryou didn't try to stop him.**

"**I'll...think about it."**

**Sentoryou smiled brightly and got up as well. "That's all I can ask. See you in a few minutes."**

**Yami nodded and watched as Sentoryou walked away. He raised his hand in what looked like a greeting and Yami settled back at the bar to finish his water before his dance began. He started to look away, but then he saw the table Sentoryou had been heading to.**

**He swallowed his mouthful quickly and set the glass down, getting to his feet to make sure he was seeing it correctly. **

**Sentoryou was talking with the man who took the stolen items from Kaiba.**

**tbc…**


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One:

Seto entered the Fire Room reluctantly, hoping Yami had a damn good reason for dragging him down here. And Yami was up there on the stage, currently shaking his ass to the usual drunken cheering. Sighing, Seto walked over to the bar and got himself a drink. If Yami had known he was going to be dancing again, why hadn't he told him to meet him after he was done?

He sat down in a chair at an empty table and sipped his scotch. The cheers came again; Yami had taken off his shirt. He turned around and seemed to realize Seto was there. He glanced around the room, then jumped off the stage and walked over to Seto, still swinging his hips and running his hands over himself. He stopped in front of Seto and leaned forward, placing his hands on Seto's shoulders and bringing their faces close together.

"What the hell are you doing?" Seto snapped, leaning back as Yami dropped his hands to his legs and dragged his nails down his thighs.

"Listen to me," Yami hissed. "Over there in the corner by the bar is a man with grey hair, about your height. His name is Sentoryou and he comes in here a lot. To see me."

"You're using me to hide from some perv who thinks you're cute?"

Yami turned around and slid into Seto's lap, ignoring his startled noise. "No, now shut up and listen. I've seen Sentoryou at the museum, at the party. Earlier, before I called you, he was talking to the man who takes the things we steal."

Yami was rocking as he said all this, raising his hands over his head and sliding down to Seto's knees before bending forward over his own legs, running his hands up the backs of Seto's calves. He was keeping up appearances, no doubt for the benefit of the others. Looking up from Yami's bare back, Seto glanced briefly at the indicated table. Sentoryou was watching with an almost angry expression.

Yami straightened up. Leaning back against Seto's chest, he wound his arms backward around his neck. "Touch me," he hissed.

"What?!"

"He's getting suspicious. He doesn't know I saw him with Takanawa's man."

Seto clenched his fists. Yami was still moving. "Stop squirming, damn it, or something's going to happen we'll both regret."

Yami looked at him sharply. Seto grabbed his hips and pushed him up. Yami turned fluidly to face him again, eyes intense.

"What do you want to do?" he demanded, raising one leg and planting his foot on the seat by Seto's leg. He raised his hands to glide them up his body, crouching down on his other leg as he did. Seto reluctantly ran his hand along Yami's thigh, glancing at Sentoryou again.

Seto was thinking. He might be able to use what Yami had told him. "He's alone. Where's Buck?"

"He left, about five minutes before you got here."

"Sentoryou might work for Takanawa, but I doubt he knows about you helping me."

"He does now."

"Maybe not."

Yami put his foot back down and Seto took the opportunity to stand up. He took a fifty from his wallet and stuffed it into Yami's waistband. Ignoring his offended look, Seto pushed him back towards the stage and picked up his scotch, heading towards the other man's table, sitting down uninvited.

"May I help you?" Sentoryou asked coldly.

Seto jerked his head in a bow. "My name is Seto Kaiba."

Sentoryou returned the gesture. "Sentoryou Oka. I know who you are. There's few who don't. What can I do for you?"

"Shadow Flare tells me you've got your eye on him. Well, he and Wildfire work for me, so maybe we can arrange a deal."

Sentoryou's eyebrow lifted. "You are his pimp?" he said skeptically.

"I prefer the term...manager."

Sentoryou was still looking suspicious. His eyes darted over Seto's shoulder, no doubt towards Yami. "I thought you were a children's game manufacturer."

Seto held Sentoryou's gaze. "Everyone leads hidden lives."

He'd said something the other man could understand. There was an unmistakable interest in his eyes. Sentoryou's gaze flicked towards the stage again before a smile spread over his face.

"What deal?"

"You can have him for the night in exchange for some information. I need to know where Hiroshi Takanawa lives. He and my stepfather were business partners and I'd like to continue that partnership, but I can't seem to get in touch with him."

He was gambling on this. A shadow crossed Sentoryou's face and he studied Seto guardedly before a fake smile crossed his lips. He leaned forward, extracting a hotel room key from his pocket and laying it on the table.

"The Charleton, room 619. I get Shadow Flare for the whole night. Mr. Takanawa lives at 20 Applegrove in McNamara Heights on Shikoku Island."

Seto took up the hotel key with a smile. "He'll be at your door in one hour."

Sentoryou finished his drink in one and put on his coat, heading out. Seto got up and went to find Yami standing, fully dressed, in the alcove by the door to backstage. Seto pushed him towards the door that led out to the alley and Yami went with him, frowning and folding his arms when they were outside.

"You told him what?!" he shouted when Seto finished the retelling.

"That you'd sleep with him in exchange for Takanawa's hideout," Seto repeated calmly.

"You--You--"

Seto held up the room key. Yami growled at him, so incensed that his Eye briefly flickered on his forehead. Seto merely smirked at him, waiting.

"You do realize he told you a lie," Yami said through clenched teeth.

"Of course I do. Which is why you've still got a date."

Yami looked up at him with a hurt, angry expression. Cutting off what was sure to be a recrimination about using him, Seto shoved the room key into his chest.

"He expects you in an hour, so we'd better get ready."

"Do it yourself," Yami snapped, shoving the key back at him.

"He doesn't want me. Listen here." Seto grabbed Yami's arm by the bicep and squeezed as he started to go around him. "I've given you over a hundred thousand dollars for Yugi and he's going to need more. This may be my one chance to get Takanawa away from my brother and you sure as hell aren't backing out on me now."

Using guilt and the sense of needing to repay favors was always a good way to get what you wanted out of people. Yami looked down at the floor, but Seto could see he was weakening.

"You'd better have a plan if you expect me to do this." Yami snatched the key out of his hand.

"I'll get everything you need. Get yourself looking your sluttiest and meet me in front of the Charleton."

He released Yami's arm and walked away before he could say anything.

******

An hour later, Yami appeared, walking up to Seto's car. He was definitely dressed his sluttiest. Wearing skin-tight, black leather pants with a gold belt, a black shirt that showed a little of his midriff, and a scarlet vest open over his chest, along with a gold choker collar and gold braclets around his wrists, he looked stunning. If Sentoryou had as much a crush on him as it seemed like, he wouldn't be able to resist.

Seto pushed open the passenger door and Yami got in. He looked livid, sitting stiffly in his seat, looking out of the windshield. Seto reached into the bag sitting on the backseat floor and withdrew the bottle of champagne, the small cloth package containing the pill, and a wire.

"Here. Put that on under your shirt so I can hear what's going on."

Yami was having difficulty so Seto helped him tape the wire on. Lowering his shirt, Yami looked at the pill.

"What's that?"

"Rohypnol."

Yami looked at him blankly. Seto pressed the small package into his hand, along with the bottle of champagne. "Date-rape drug."

"What are you wanting me to do?" Yami was clearly trying to keep his voice even.

"Knock him out and let me into the room. I'll do the rest."

"This is dangerous."

"Is Yugi worth it?"

Yami started to strike him. Anticipating some violence after pushing him so far, Seto caught his wrist. Holding it tightly, he leaned forward, Yami glaring at him without leaning back, his hand still clenched into a fist above Seto's grip.

"I need you," Seto growled. "And I'm going to use you however I feel like. You need me, or you wouldn't be in this car. Grumble all you want about your pride, but the sooner you come to grips with the fact I'm not a nice guy, the better off we'll both be." He squeezed Yami's wrist tightly for emphasis, then let him go. "Now hurry up and get up there."

tbc…


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty-Two:**

**Yami strode up the hallway towards room 619. He couldn't believe this was happening. Kaiba was pushing things way too far this time. After this, he was on his own. It didn't matter how much money he'd been given, he was not going to be used like this anymore. He'd find some other way of getting the money for Yugi's chip-procedure. **

**Kaiba would just be lucky if Yami didn't send him to the Shadow Realm the next time he saw his face.**

**Sentoryou answered the door almost before he'd finished knocking. His eyes ran over Yami's body and he stood there, humiliated and trying not to show it. He smiled and Sentoryou stepped back, allowing him to walk inside. **

"**So," he said. "You are a pro."**

"**Occasionally. If the price is right."**

**Sentoryou liked that. "Mr. Kaiba and I never agreed to one. I doubt an address is enough."**

**Yami had no idea how whores were supposed to act, so he improvised. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, he leaned back on one hand, resting the champagne bottle on his leg with the other. **

"**We can decide on that later. Depending on what you do to me."**

**Sentoryou really liked that. He suddenly stepped forward and grabbed Yami's face between his hands, kissing him hungrily on the mouth. Yami wanted very badly to push him away, but he didn't. Kaiba was going to pay very dearly for this.**

**Sentoryou broke the kiss and started to push Yami's jacket off of his shoulders. Hastily, Yami held up the champagne, thinking fast.**

"**I brought this for us to share." He lowered his voice throatily, leaning forward and smiling. "It always gets me in the right mood."**

**Sentoryou took it from him and crossed the room, going behind the counter of the kitchen unit. Yami stood and removed his jacket, setting it on a chair. Sentoryou looked him over again while he retrieved wineglasses from the cabinet. He set them down a little heavily, then had trouble with the cork. Yami crossed to the other side of the counter and folded his arms on top of it, fixing Sentoryou with a stare.**

"**Nervous?"**

"**A bit," Sentoryou admitted, finally getting it out. He poured the glasses and held one out to Yami, who accepted and was glad to drink some. He was getting addicted to alcohol, and he definitely needed it tonight. **

**Sentoryou came around the counter and went to the bed, sitting down on the edge. He patted the space next to him and smiled.**

**Yami turned around to grab the champagne bottle, deftly dropping the Rohypnol capsule inside as he did. Sentoryou didn't notice, having eyes only for him. Joining him on the bed, Yami improvised again and swung his legs to hook them over Sentoryou's closest, letting them dangle between his knees. He figured some intimate contact would keep his attention on him.**

**It seemed to work. Sentoryou smiled and dropped his free hand on Yami's leg, taking another drink of his champagne. It was almost empty; he was nervous. **

"**Here," Yami said, lifting the bottle and refilling the glass. **

**Sentoryou clinked it against Yami's and downed half of it. Yami drank some more of his own, wondering when the Rohypnol would work.**

**Sentoryou suddenly leaned forward and kissed him again. Yami kissed him back, reluctantly opening his mouth when his tongue glided over his lips. Sentoryou kissed him with skill and enthusiasm, eager lust, and Yami worried the drug wouldn't work quickly enough. He might have to just run for it. He should have brought his Puzzle.**

**Finally the other pulled back for air, his eyes dark. Yami took another drink of his champagne, relieved when Sentoryou took another deep drink of his own. He refilled his glass again. **

"**You're the best kisser I've ever had."**

**Yami smiled falsely, privately thinking what a sad case that must be; he hadn't even tried. He sipped his own champagne, trying to think of a curse good enough for Kaiba.**

**Sentoryou drained his glass for the third time and put it up on the nightstand before turning back to Yami, who waited apprehensively. Sentoryou took his glass and set it next to his. Then he began unbuckling Yami's collar. He just stopped himself from protesting, but if this went much farther, he'd just knock Sentoryou out the hard way.**

**To his relief, Sentoryou's movements were clumsy and he was squinting. At last the drug was working. But not fast enough. Yami's collar came off and Sentoryou leaned over, beginning to kiss his neck. Yami closed his eyes, clenching his fingers. The man did have his talents and he just restrained himself from shoving him off. At last Sentoryou passed out and Yami quickly pushed him off before he fell on him. **

**He slumped over onto his back on the bed, breathing deeply. **

**Hoping Kaiba could hear him, he said, "Kaiba, it's done."**

**********

**When Kaiba finally got up there, Yami was sitting in one of the chairs at the dining table. He didn't look up when Kaiba walked in through the propped-open door, though he saw him glance at him out of the corner of his eye. **

**Sentoryou was still passed out on the bed, his legs hanging over the edge. Kaiba ignored him and walked over to the briefcase sitting beside the table. He sat down in the other chair and opened the briefcase, beginning to rifle through the papers.**

"**Nothing here but contracts and reports for his bank on Shikoku Island. Hmm...he said Takanawa lived on Shikoku Island. I guess they really are in this together. But nothing concrete...wait, a minute..."**

**Yami rubbed his forehead. Gods, he couldn't stand listening to him talk to himself right now. "You got what you wanted. I'm out of here."**

"**Uh-huh."**

**Yami glared at him, but Kaiba was too absorbed in reading Sentoryou's papers. He got up and grabbed his collar and jacket, quickly heading out of the door. Putting his collar around his throat, he was glad for the cold night air. It was helping to clear his head. He'd walked a few blocks before he realized someone was calling his name. **

"**Yami! Hey, Shadow, over here!"**

**Yami stopped and looked over. Joey was looking at him through the passenger window of their car, pacing him. He stopped and Yami got in, slamming the door shut. Joey didn't immediately pull away, looking at him in concern.**

"**What happened? I came by to pick you up and you were gone. And you look really pissed."**

"**Kaiba. He came by to take me over to the Kaiba Corp. building to finish up the game...but he was being a jerk, so I told him off and walked out."**

**Joey's happiness over the idea of Yami yelling at Kaiba completely took his attention off the fact it was a flimsy lie. "Awesome. I didn't like you working with him, anyway. You okay?"**

"**Yes. I'll be fine."**

**Joey put the car in gear and headed off. "Yug's asleep. So, this stuff with Kaiba's over, right?"**

"**Yes. It most certainly is." Yami had never been more adamant about anything.**

"**Good." They rode in silence for a few minutes and were soon at the apartment. Joey pulled over to the curb and turned off the engine. "Hey, Yami, listen. That money you found...that's over, okay?"**

"**Are you going to tell me where you got it?"**

"**No."**

**Yami frowned, studying his face. Joey looked away, fidgeting uncomfortably. **

"**Joey..."**

"**All right." Joey sighed heavily and pushed his hand back through his hair. "But listen, it was only for Yug'. 'Cause he needed the money and we weren't getting paid enough. But don't ever tell him, okay?"**

"**Tell him what?"**

**Joey folded his arms on top of the steering wheel and leaned forward, resting his forehead against his arms. His voice was a little muffled, but Yami heard him just fine.**

"**I was...a prostitute, okay?"**

"**Oh, Joey--"**

**Joey lifted his head and the looked at Yami somberly. "It paid a lot, Yami. We wouldn't have made it if I hadn't done it. Yugi needed so much money, and I was desperate. But...we're caught up, so I'm not anymore. You...understand, don't you?"**

**Unfortunately, Yami understood all too well. He couldn't be angry or disgusted with Joey, considering he'd done plenty of terrible things himself. Just a few minutes ago he'd had the tongue of a man who liked him just for him shoved down his throat for the only reason of drugging him so Kaiba could ransack his personal things. And part of him was not surprised about the confession. It made sense, Joey's late-night disappearances, the rolls of cash he'd used to pay things. **

"**That night...when you came home bruised--"**

"**A...uh...a client got rough. I kicked his ass and got out of there. I lied to you, too. A lot, actually. Can you forgive me?"**

"**Yes, Joey, I understand. You don't have to apologize. And I won't say anything to Aibou, I promise." He sighed himself. "He knows too much already."**

**Joey put his head back down on his arms. "This whole thing is really messed up."**

**Yami reached over and patted his back. "Like you said, it'll be okay."**

**Joey pushed himself up and nodded. He looked over at Yami and offered an unsteady smile. "Yeah, you're right. Besides, Yug's worth it."**

**Yami nodded and opened the car door, getting out. Joey came with him, following him inside. He suddenly grabbed him and hugged him, squeezing him a bit too tight. Resting his cheek against the top of Yami's hair, his voice was a little gruff.**

"**We've had to suffer some shitty stuff lately, but I don't regret it. And things are looking up now."**

**Yami didn't protest the painful squeeze. "Yes, they are."**

**tbc…**


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three:

Seto was getting suspicious. He'd been expecting some fall-out from what he'd done to Takanawa's man Sentoryou, but nothing had happened. After going through all of Sentoryou's personal items while he was sleeping off the effects of the Rohypnol, he hadn't found anything concrete. By luck, he'd found a bank statement from Sentoryou's bank on Shikoku Island that stated an amount of five hundred thousand had been wired into his account from an off-shore one--a classic bad-guy sign if there ever was one--and a short, hand-written note from the man named Buck asking Sentoryou to meet him at the Fire Room, but nothing that directly linked him to Takanawa. Nothing he could use.

In the end, he'd turned theft and taken Sentoryou's laptop, cell-phone, and digital camera with him when he'd gone. It occurred to him that there was likely to be DNA evidence from both he and Yami that they'd been there, but he doubted Sentoryou would turn to the cops. First, he'd have to admit why Yami had gotten in with the key, which would already be illegal, not to mention taboo to most people, and if his stolen property were ever recovered, the police were likely to look through it before handing it back, and if there was any illegal activities documented on them like Seto thought, Sentoryou would be in even deeper trouble.

Seto had taken the stolen items home and had the passwords bypassed in a couple of hours. The laptop had detailed business reports for Sentoryou's bank, e-mails and pictures from his family, e-mails from his business associates and friends, a calender book listing all important meetings and functions coming up, and nothing at all he could use. Frustrated, he'd turned to the cell-phone, which at least provided two voice-mails he'd found interesting. The first had been from Buck, changing the time of the meeting at the Fire Room, and the second had been from a man who called himself Seiji, who promised Sentoryou that the information he'd requested would be delivered to his home on Monday. He gave the address, which didn't surprise him as being on Shikoku Island, but Seto only memorized it by habit. There was little he could do with Sentoryou's address. Stealing from his hotel room was one thing, but trying to take anything from his personal home would be rather another and he didn't really consider attempting it.

The camera wasn't very helpful, but it was disturbing. Twenty-six pictures on it, all of Yami. Seto was both amused and disgusted. Sentoryou certainly had a thing for the former Pharaoh, but this was bordering on an obsession. Good thing Yami was smart enough to keep his distance, or he could be in trouble.

Damn it. After all of this, he still only had circumstantial stuff. Finally, out of irritation, he shipped Sentoryou's stuff back to him. Just to make himself feel better, he took a piece of paper and wrote the word 'thanks' on it and put it into the box for shipping, just to piss Sentoryou off. He'd first been about to throw it away, but it was never could to have anything incriminating linked to you, even in the garbage. And he just liked to think of the look on the man's face when it returned to him with the note. He made sure the return address was a fake one before sending it out. No one would be able to trace it back to him, even if Sentoryou did make the connection between Yami and himself.

Another week had gone by since they'd attacked Sentoryou and there had been no word from Takanawa. These periods of silence were probably to mess with Seto's head, but if that old bastard thought he'd get to Seto that way, that easily, he was wrong. And if he messed up this day for Mokuba, Seto would kill him with his bare hands.

At last the eighth was here and Mokuba was beside himself, both with worry and with happiness. He chattered non-stop on the way to the Sakura Blossom Inn, but Seto didn't try to stop him. Privately thinking he'd kill Takanawa with his bare hands if he did anything to mess this day up, he listened to Mokuba go on and on about all the things that could go wrong, what he and Marianne were planning on doing during their honeymoon trip, what the house in Cambridge looked like--he'd flown there the previous weekend with Marianne to see it--and what college must be like in England.

"Mokuba, we're here," Seto finally cut in.

Mokuba broke off in mid-sentence. He looked rather pale. "I must be acting stupid, huh?"

"No. And I'll bet Marianne's twice as bad as you are."

Mokuba grinned and took a deep breath, looking much more relaxed as they got out. The staff at the Inn had decorated it for the wedding, with streamers and flowers everywhere. The wedding would take place inside due to the cold, in the expansive front common room whose giant bay window opened up onto a spectacular view of the Inn's namesake--an enormous Sakura tree. The tree had no blooms at this time of year, but the staff had painstakingly tied fake blooms to the branches, along with dangling good luck charms and a multitude of softly glowing lights. With the backdrop of mountains, a waterfall, and an iron-grey sky, it made for quite the sight.

The interior of the room itself had more lights and charms, two long tables laden with refreshments for after the wedding, and rows of chairs for the guests, most of whom had already arrived. In the front rows of the bride's side were her parents, her brother and sister and their families, her surviving grandmother, and a bunch of aunts, uncles, and cousins. Family first for the Coltranes. After the family came her massive amount of friends. The chairs were filled to capacity.

Mokuba's side wasn't nearly so full. Seto was the only family he had, but there were high school friends and, surprisingly, some of Kaiba Corp's staff and their families. Kaiba Corp's workers had always liked Mokuba better than Seto, but he still hadn't expected any of them to show up. The groom's side was still only half-full compared to the bride's, but at least it wasn't empty.

An hour after their arrival, the wedding began. Mokuba had been nervously knotting and reknotting his tie, but stopped when the music started. Seto took his place beside him and waited while the bridesmaids made their way down the center aisle. They were followed by a flower-girl and a ring-bearer. Mokuba made a funny little noise when the bride's march started and the entire gathering got to their feet, turning to face the double-doors leading to the main lobby.

They opened and Mokuba made another little noise, entirely different from the one before. Marianne stood beside her father, radiant in her wedding dress. Her auburn hair had been piled on top of her head in a fancy twist, decorated with tiny flowers, and sheathed beneath her veil. Around her neck was her treasured pearls, and she held a bouquet of pink roses and white lillies in her hands. Her father took her arm and they started down the aisle where he gave her away, taking his place in the seats next to her mother.

They all turned to the presiding justice of the peace and the wedding began. Mokuba and Marianne exchanged their vows and their rings and took their first kiss as husband and wife. The entire crowd clapped, Seto included, and it was over.

Mokuba and Marianne left to change into regular clothes, soon to leave for their honeymoon. Seto got himself a glass of champagne and made himself walk over to the Coltranes. The father was a short, stout man with a headful of salt-and-pepper hair, brown eyes, and the look of a man who had lived a lot of experiences and hadn't forgot any of them. The mother was her daughter thirty years older, with auburn hair beginning to grey and the same green eyes. She wasn't nearly as friendly as her daughter, but she gave Seto a smile when he approached.

"Mr. Kaiba, it looks as if we are in-laws now," she said, in English. Marianne had a limited grasp of the language--Mokuba was teaching her--but her parents didn't know a word of it. "You are always welcome should you ever find yourself back in London."

"The same to you, in Japan," he said automatically.

Mr. Coltrane was the one whom Marianne had inherited her friendliness. He grabbed Seto's hand and pumped it enthusiastically. "Well, my boy, my Marianne couldn't have caught a finer gentleman for herself! Mokuba's told us about your family life and you've done a damn good job of raising your brother, I dare say!"

"Thank you."

"Yes, yes. Damn good job of it all, I say! Kaiba Corporation's got the world in its hand, game-wise. And there isn't a better objective bringing some happiness to children's lives! And after all of that, still a youngster! I wish I'd had half the drive you do, my boy."

Seto smiled before looking up as the newlyweds returned. They were ambushed by well-wishers and the Coltranes hurried over to hug their daughter. Mokuba managed to detach himself from the crowd and came over to him. He was now wearing a simple pair of jeans and a blue sweater.

"Thanks for everything, Big Brother."

Seto grunted, handing Mokuba a glass of champagne of his own. "How long are you staying?"

"Marianne's got a lot of people to see, so a little while, I guess. I--Oh, thank you. Thanks for coming."

Mokuba had been waylaid by the friends and employees that had been on his side of the room. Seto nodded a couple of times when someone looked his way, but left the thanking up to his brother. Once all of that was done, the group got themselves food from the buffet tables and settled into smaller groups to chat. At last the bride and groom cut the wedding cake and the entire ceremony was over.

The group broke up and left and at least it was only the newlyweds, the Coltranes, and Seto who were left. Seto took them all to the airport in his limo and waited through the tearful goodbye between Marianne and her parents. Mokuba turned to Seto.

"We'll stop in on the way to Kyoto."

Seto nodded. Mokuba seemed to hesitate for a moment, then hugged him, something he hadn't done in a good three years. Seto allowed himself to hug him back briefly before pushing him away.

"I guess I can be bothered to read a letter or two."

Mokuba grinned broadly, getting the message. "Good. 'Bye, Big Brother."

"Good-bye, Mokuba."

Marianne and Mokuba then boarded their plane to Paris. Seto watched through the window as it taxied out onto the runway and took off, rising up into the air and finally disappearing from his view-point. He turned around to find the Coltranes had been watching as well, despite the fact that their flight to England was about to leave.

"I guess this is good-bye," Mrs. Coltrane said.

"Yes."

"Well, then, good-bye, my boy!" Mr. Coltrane wrung his hand again. "Oh. I guess that's not how you do it here, is it?"

"It's fine. Good-bye."

"Don't be a stranger for too long!" Mr. Coltrane said. He rarely seemed to be able to say anything without an exclamation point on the end. "I hope to see you in London sometime. We'll need someone young to wrassle those grandkids when they pop up!"

Grandkids. Or, nieces or nephews to Seto. The idea was a rather surreal one, after all the time it had just been the two of them. Now he had a whole new level of family.

"I--I'll be there sometime."

"Good, good! Cheerio, my boy!"

"Good-bye, Mr. Kaiba."

They turned and left, heading for the gate for their flight, which was warning the airport that it was last call. Seto looked after them a moment before turning and heading for the main exit. Now he was completely alone, Mokuba off on his new life with his new bride. It wasn't until this moment that Seto realized just how used he was to his younger brother's presence.

But the day had come and gone and he'd known it would. Just maybe, looking forward to Mokuba's kids, whenever they would come, would be something he could deal with.

tbc…


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-Four:

"Wow, I can't believe it's Christmas already," Yugi said, putting some tinsel on the tree.

"It's the twenty-second, Yug'."

Yugi threw some tinsel at Joey, which completely missed since it wasn't heavy enough to resist the air pressure. "You know what I meant."

Yami smiled, working on his part of the tree, hanging up a blue bauble. It was hard to believe that Yugi had been home from the center over two months already. The appointment on the third had gone very well and Dr. Ashford had proclaimed Yugi ready for the chip-procedure, if they chose to go through with it. He'd sat them down and explained to them precisely what was going to happen, step-by-step, answering their questions and ending the discussion by telling them how much it was going to cost.

That had been the problem. Despite the fact that much of what Kaiba had last paid him remained in the bank, it wasn't nearly enough to pay for the procedure. Yami wasn't sure what they were going to do. After what Kaiba had made him to do Sentoryou, he didn't care if he never saw him again, but at the same time, Yugi wasn't going to be able to walk again unless they had the ridiculous amount of money the surgery would cost. Five-hundred thousand dollars, which didn't include possible therapy and prescriptions afterwards.

Yugi had determinedly not said anything at all about the visit once they'd gotten home. Though their direct link was closed, Yami was sure that Yugi knew just how bleak the possibility was, and was refusing to talk about it so he wouldn't break down.

He and Joey had talked about it in private and they could see no way for it to happen either. On the plus side, Yugi had gotten over his initial shock and dismay about their occupation and had even teased them about their stage names. They were still at the Fire Room, which paid enough for them to live on, but there was no extra money. Yami was keeping the rest of the fifty-thousand in the bank in case of an emergency.

Joey had promised him that he was no longer giving sex for money and wouldn't do it anymore and Yami believed him. But there was no other income either. Neither had managed to find another job yet and they would have to get a good one to even hope of financing the surgery.

It looked like the only course was to talk to Kaiba again. The brunette had not contacted him since he'd left him there in Sentoryou's hotel room and he had no idea what had ocurred since then. Sentoryou had not been back to the Fire Room, which Yami was grateful for. And though Yami was more pissed off at Kaiba than he had ever been in his life, he did wonder what had happened. It had been almost two months since he'd stalked out of room 619 on the first of November, what had happened in the situation with Takanawa? Had Kaiba gotten it resolved or had Takanawa given up?

/Yami?/

Yami jumped and looked over at his hikari. //Yes, Aibou?//

/Are you okay? Joey's asked what you want for dinner about four times./

"Hey!" Joey's voice was coming from the kitchen. "Hello! You hungry or not, Yami?"

"Oh, uh, whatever is fine, Joey. I don't have any...preferences." He stumbled a bit because Yugi was looking at him so intently.

"'Kay! Then you leave the decision up to me."

/Yami, is something wrong?/

//I was just...thinking, Aibou.//

/I know./

Yugi sighed and looked down at the tree star he was holding in his hands. A mirthless little smile played over his lips. /You know, I wouldn't be able to reach it to put this up even if I could stand up./

//Aibou--//

"Aw, Yug'." Joey had come into the living room and even if he hadn't heard what Yugi had said, he seemed to understand by the expression on his face.

"It's okay," Yugi said, lifting his head. "Guys, I've been thinking about it. I know there's no way we can afford the surgery--"

"Yug'--"

"No, let me finish. You guys have done so much for me already. A lot more than I really would have wanted you to, and I can't thank you enough for that."

"It wasn't any problem."

"Can't I finish, please, Joey? Look, I've been in this wheelchair for almost a year already. I've learned how to do everything over again and a year's a long time. This is my life now and I'm not going to lose it if we can't afford the chip-procedure. It might not even work anyway, Dr. Ashford told us that. So don't get yourselves all wound up about it, please." He looked up at them in turn, his eyes beseeching. "Let's just forget about it and go on living, okay? I've spent so much time feeling sorry for myself that I forgot all about you guys and what you've done for me only shows how selfish I've been. All I want to do now is be with you and that's enough. Okay?"

Joey made a sort of sniffling noise and quickly scrubbed his eyes. "It wasn't selfish of you, Yug'. And we're not going to give up about it."

"I do want to walk again, Joey, of course I do, but for you guys to get all stressed out about it--"

"Aibou, Dr. Ashford never said you had to have the surgery at any specific time. Let us instead consider it put on hold and save up for it. Will that work?"

"Yami, I just don't want you guys wearing yourselves out for it."

"We won't," Joey said. "But that doesn't mean you have to give up hope, Yug'. We're here for you."

Yugi started to cry. It was the sort of crying where he was still smiling and he rubbed at his eyes in embarrassment. Sniffling, he raised his head. "Let's just go eat, okay?"

Yami nodded, beginning to head to the kitchen, but Joey grunted. "You know what? Let's go out. Come on, Yug'. There's this great ice-cream place down the block and they sell pizza and hot dogs, too."

"That sounds great."

Yugi wheeled himself over to the closet and pulled his coat down. Neither Yami nor Joey made any move to help him. Yugi was right; he could do all of it on his own, it just took him a little longer. They got their own coats and headed out to the car. By this time of the year, snow had begun to fall. Joey had been almost obsessive about keeping the sidewalk, ramp, and frontwalk clear of snow and ice for Yugi and the path was still clear now, despite the softly pattering snow.

They had a pleasant dinner, Yugi mentioning how he'd missed pizza and ice-cream and wondering why he hadn't had any since he'd been out of the center.

"Don't know, but we fixed that now, huh?" Joey said with a grin.

Yugi laughed, smiling at Joey. "Yeah, you did. And stop eating all my ice-cream!"

Joey made a guilty face, lifting his spoon out of Yugi's bowl, then grinned and quickly scooped another bite and stuck it into his mouth. Yugi laughed again and pulled his bowl out of reach. Joey made a pouting face.

Yami glanced between them before looking back down at his own bowl, smiling slightly. Joey noticed and blinked at him.

"What's up?"

"Nothing."

Joey shrugged and turned to his soda. It wasn't long after that that they returned home. The last finishing touches were put on the tree and Joey put on the star. He glanced at Yugi when he did it, but Yugi only smiled.

"It looks great."

"Yeah, it does."

Joey settled down on the sofa. Yami went into the kitchen to get them some of the egg nog Yugi loved so much, returning to find Yugi had lifted himself from the chair to the sofa, sitting beside Joey. He passed out their glasses before sitting down on the other side of Joey.

"So, Yug', when do you want to go shopping?"

"I don't know. Don't you two have to work tomorrow?"

"Yep. But not until nighttime. We can go anytime before then. And we don't work at all on the 24th or 25th, we made sure of that."

"Is the Fire Room even open then? It's Christmas!"

"I guess it would be, for the more creepy losers."

"Are you guys safe doing that?"

"Of course, Aibou."

"Sure we are. We've got friends all over the place and we don't have any contact with the freaks who come there. Nothing can happen."

He didn't mention that Yami had once been punched by a man who'd tried to grab him. Neither did Yami. Yugi would only worry and that guy had never been back since, not after Joey had broken his face. Joey put his arm around Yugi's shoulders.

"Listen, Yug', I wouldn't let anything happen to Yami, you know that. Besides, this is Yami. You'd do better to worry about the guy that messed with him."

Yugi grinned at Yami around Joey. "Yeah, that's true."

Yami shrugged his shoulders. "I have been known to be less than forgiving."

Yugi laughed, then stretched. "Mm, I'm tired. How about we get up early tomorrow, Joey, and go to the mall?"

"Early?" Joey got up, waiting while Yugi shifted himself over to the chair. "Aw, man."

Yami smiled, standing up to turn off the light as he followed Joey up the stairs while Yugi took the elevator. They said goodnight and headed for bed.

******

The next morning, Yami got up and made egg-and-bacon sandwiches for their breakfast. He decided not to go to the mall with them.

"There's chores to do, I'll do them. The water bill needs to be delivered."

"Oh, hell, I forgot! Yami, you shouldn't walk. It's cold out."

"It's not that cold, Joey. I'll be fine. You and Aibou do your shopping and I'll get the check delivered and pick up those makings for the sugar cookies."

"Are you sure?" Yugi asked. "That doesn't seem fair, you doing all the un-fun stuff."

"I've got my shopping done and this needs to be done. You two have fun and I'll meet you back here for lunch."

He finally convinced them and they said goodbye, leaving the house. Yami did the dishes before grabbing his coat and leaving. He walked to the water department building and dropped off the check. On the walk home, he realized he was passing the Suki Galleria. He didn't know what was pulling at him, but he found himself crossing the street and stopping to look into the main window display. Nothing seemed to have changed since he'd broken in on the 25th of October.

After a moment he moved away and started down the sidewalk again, pushing his hands into his pockets and hunching against the cold wind. The real reason he hadn't gone with Yugi and Joey was that he was thinking he saw something developing there. It had been a year since they'd seen each other, but he and Yugi seemed to have gotten close again in a matter of a few weeks, in a way that didn't seem to be just friendship renewed.

His own relationship with Joey was a lot less complicated. They loved each other, but their relationship had been little more than physical. If it were Yugi that Joey really loved, he wouldn't be upset at all. In fact, the idea appealed to him. Joey would never be anything more than a friend--with benefits, it was true--but if he and Yugi were really in love, Yami would be very happy to see it. They were perfect together, such good friends already.

"Well, isn't this a coincidence?"

Yami glanced up, seeing Derek grinning at him from a few feet away. "Oh. Hello, Derek. How have you been?"

"Great. Haven't seen you in a while. Guess our schedules are just too off." He fell into step with him. "Heading home?"

"Yes."

"I'm on my way to the train station. I'm heading to my parents' for Christmas. They live out in Mori. Mind if I walk with you for a little bit?"

"No, I don't mind. Is it going to be a big gathering?"

"Oh, are you kidding? I have six brothers and sisters, all but one of them have kids, all my grandparents are still alive, and then there's my aunts, uncles, and eighteen cousins."

Yami looked at him in surprise. "That is quite a lot of people."

"Yeah. But my parents are farmers. They have a huge gohan farm out there. Plenty of room for the kids to run around and the adults to sit and talk. What about you?"

"Just Joey, Aibou, and I."

"Um, Aibou?"

"Oh, uh, Yugi Moto."

Derek's eyebrow raised and he stopped. Cursing his slip, Yami turned to face him.

"I thought you looked familiar. I just never wanted to say anything. Yugi Moto's been off the radar for, like, a year. What happened to him? Wasn't there an accident of some kind? You're related, aren't you?"

There wasn't any point is saying no, so he stuck to the story that had just sort of made itself. "Yes, he's my brother. He was in the hospital for a while, but he's back home."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pried. I'm glad he's okay."

"Thank you."

They started walking again. "Wow, so you're the famous Yugi Moto's brother. You know, you guys could pass for twins. Are you?"

"No. But we are similar, it's true."

"Similar? Hah, if I didn't know you were someone else, I'd swear you were Yugi. My second cousin and I look a lot alike, it's weird. I guess that's just genetics. So, Joey isn't going home for Christmas?"

Yami knew that the inclusion of Joey into the conversation wasn't as innocent as it first seemed. Derek still had a crush on him, it was obvious. "No, he's staying with us."

"Ah. Look, I know it's none of my business...but are you and he--"

"No." Yami sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Listen, Derek. It's Joey and Yugi who are together." Never mind it wasn't true yet, it was bound to be soon.

"Oh."

"Yugi was gone for a while, but now that he's come home--"

"I see."

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah. Listen, I'd better run, you know, my train--"

Yami nodded, knowing that there was a very distinct possibility that Derek's train didn't leave for quite some time. He stopped and watched Derek turn and hurry away. He felt bad, but it was better for the truth to be out. Joey had never had any interest in Derek and had made that obvious. It was Derek who had imagined something there that wasn't.

He made it home not long after that and climbed the steps, unlocking the front door. He was just stepping across the threshold when a voice spoke from behind him.

"So this is where you live."

He turned, just in time to see Sentoryou standing right behind him. The older man clapped a hand over his mouth and shoved him back inside, grabbing his right wrist in his other hand and shoving Yami right up against the wall beside the door.

tbc…

A/N: Anonymous reviews? I want to know who's reviewing and I don't hold comments against people as long as they're not flames.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five:

Seto slowly folded the letter that had arrived that morning from Mokuba. They were still on their honeymoon, just about to leave Hawaii for Kyoto. Mokuba promised they'd visit shortly after arriving before heading on to England for college.

The note had come with a souvenir, a small conch shell with a picture of a Hawaiian sunset painted on the side. It wasn't normally his kind of thing to have, but he rested it on the corner of the desk anyway. He knew Marianne would be happy to see it there when they arrived in a few days.

He glanced at his clock and saw that it was half-past six. He shut down his computer and got up to go home. It was day before Christmas Eve and Kaiba Corp. was closed until 9 a.m. on the twenty-eighth, Tuesday, giving them a four-day weekend. He'd promised Mokuba before he left that he'd uphold that break for the employees, though if it were up to him, they'd just work straight through all holidays.

Returning to the house, he found it empty. His household staff was off for the next four days as well and that left him to his own devices. He made himself some dinner and ate it in the dining room before heading into the living room. He wasn't usually one to watch TV, but his work was done for the weekend and he settled in to watch some of the news.

A knock at the front door surprised him. He slowly turned off the TV and got up, instantly alert. He didn't expect Takanawa to ever show his face, but maybe he'd gotten tired of waiting and had siced that ridiculous Buck on him. He walked slowly over to the small table beside the front door and unstuck the small key from its hiding place taped to the back of the mirror above it. He unlocked the little desk and pulled out the revolver kept there. Mokuba had no idea, but there were three guns in the house. Seto didn't like the idea of using one, but he was smart, practical, and paranoid. You could never trust anyone.

Holding the gun at his side, he took off the safety and approached the door. Looking through the peephole, he was surprised to see who it was and unlocked the door, opening it.

Yami was standing on the front stoop, his hands in his pocket and snow dusting his hair. His nose and cheeks were red and if he'd walked the entire way from his own apartment, he had to be half frozen to death.

"What are you doing here?" Seto demanded.

"They know where I live!"

Yami pushed past him and into the house. Seto glared, but shut the door to stop the cold air from rushing in. Yami was standing with his arms folded but as soon as the door shut he turned and walked into the living room. Seto followed, irritated.

"Who knows where you live?"

"Takanawa!"

"What?! You saw him?"

"N...No. But Sentoryou was there. He followed me home."

Seto blinked, then scowled, folding his own arms. "You came over here just to bitch that your boyfriend followed you home?"

"He is not--What's that for?"

Yami's eyes had spotted the gun in Seto's hand. Seto stalked over to table, automatically putting the safety back on and shoving it into the drawer, which he locked again. Ignoring the look Yami was giving, he waved his hand impatiently.

"Well? Is there a reason you came over here?"

"Didn't you hear me? Sentoryou was at my house! If he knows, then Takanawa knows! And that means that Yugi and Joey are in danger. You made me do this for you--"

"I paid you, therefore I didn't make you do anything."

"You were the one set up that horrible incident in the hotel, which I will never forget--"

"I shouldn't think you would. You were so good at it, I wouldn't be surprised if you had a lot of experience with--"

Yami's hand cracked across his face. Seto was so startled that he didn't react for a second; despite the episode in the car before, he hadn't expected Yami to hit him. As rage finally started boiling, Yami had already started to go off.

"How dare you talk to me that way?! You may have paid me the money I need, but you went out of your way to use and humiliate me and I am done with it! And now you have brought my family into this--"

"They're not your family!" Seto shouted back. "Guess what, and pay attention. You have no family, you have no life, because you're nothing but a ghost who won't die! You took my money and for that I owned you. I saw my advantage--Sentoryou's obsession with you--and, like any good businessman, I used that!"

"This is not business! Aibou and Joey are in danger because you can't get this resolved! No, you need me to pretend to be a whore just so you can get close to someone lowest on the pole! You are pathetic and weak and you haven't--"

Seto slammed Yami against the side of the archway between the front hall and the living room, his voice turning soft and lethal.

"Don't you ever talk to me that way."

Yami looked up at him coldly. "You don't scare me, Kaiba."

Seto let him go and waved his hand at the door. "Go. Get out of my house. I don't care if your stalker knows where you live."

Yami walked away from the arch, but didn't leave the house. "If anything happens to my family--yes, my family!--because of you, you would rather Takanawa got to you than I."

Seto snorted at him, folding his arms again. They glared at each other, neither backing down. They were equal in their rage, their bravery against each other. They were so intent on each other that they both jumped when the phone rang. Seto glanced towards the living room before finally turning away from Yami to walk across the room and answer it.

"Yes?"

"Hello, Mr. Kaiba!"

Seto froze where he was standing, his hand gripping the phone tightly. "Takanawa," he breathed.

Takanawa chuckled. "It's been a while, hasn't it? Sorry I missed your brother's wedding, I was off visiting relatives for the holidays. I'm sure the bride was ravishing."

"What. The hell. Do you want?"

"Come now, kiddo. I've missed you. Haven't you missed me? You've done such a good job so far, I thought I'd ask you to do me another favor."

Seto growled into the phone, barely aware that Yami had come into the room and was standing beside the phone table, staring at him intently. Takanawa only laughed at him again.

"Let's ring in the New Year with a bang. And let's kick it up a notch. I have a rival--friendly, I promise you--that has this fabulous diamond-and-emerald brooch in the shape of a peacock. I know, because it used to be my mother's. He stole it, so now you're going to steal it back. A little poetic justice, don't you think? My mother would have been so happy to know I had it back. Doesn't that just make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?"

"I can't think of anything that I care about less."

"Be nice. You've got eight days from now. I'll fax you the address. I'm sure you can come up with something brilliant by then. I have to admit, I'm impressed you've managed to do all of this. You shouldn't have gone into toy-making, you should have been a professional thief."

Seto said nothing. The less you said, the less your enemy had to work with. But he was also being quiet because something was occuring to him.

"Okay. I don't care if you keep up your strong, silent type attitude as long as you have that peacock brooch on January first. Because, unlike you, I know how to get someone's address. Your brother's house is quite nice. 'Bye, kiddo."

The phone was hung up on him this time. Seto slowly put his own phone back down, turning to look at Yami, who was looking back at him. A smile suddenly crossed his face.

"Another heist?" he asked. "Well, good luck with that."

He started to turn and head out. Growling, Seto grabbed his wrist, yanking him back hard. "No way."

Yami glared up at him. "Let go of me. I am done helping you. Now that--"

"Shut up. Look at this logically. Takanawa has never made a single mention of you. He doesn't know you exist."

"He could be playing you."

"Maybe. But what about this Sentoryou? You're standing here, so he didn't hurt you, did he? Did he make any threats? I don't think he's actually part of this."

"You don't know anything about this. And even if he doesn't know now, he could later. I will not endanger Aibou and Joey. You always like working by yourself, anyway."

Yami jerked his arm out of his grasp. He started to walk away, then paused and Seto waited, watching him. He hated this, needing his help like this. If only he could get Takanawa!

Yami turned slowly back to look at him and his eyes were angry and somehow defeated. "Aibou has a chance to walk again. There is a surgery. Pay for it in its enterity, right now, and I'll help you."

"So nothing's changed."

Yami's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing. Seto shrugged and found his checkbook. "How much?"

"Five-hundred thousand dollars."

Seto blinked and looked up. Even for Kaiba Corp, a half-million dollars was not something to just throw around, especially since he'd already paid nearly that much in Yugi's other bills. Finally he wrote the check out, tore it off, and handed it over to him.

"What changed, though? Just a second ago you were shouting about how you're done."

"Yugi deserves to be happy again and you're the only person who can afford it. Believe me, I'm going to make sure Aibou and Joey are out of harm's way before this happens. Sentoryou may not know anything about what we're doing. Takanawa may not know anything about me helping you. I don't know, but I'm not going to take the chance. There are too many coincidences."

"Enjoy your Christmas. We've got until the New Year. Now get out."

Yami glared at him before turning and stalking out of the house. Seto crossed the room and locked the door after him. Once the bolt had shot home, he punched the door.

tbc…


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six:

Yami found himself shoved up against the wall beside the door to the apartment, which remained open, looking up at Sentoryou as the older man leaned over him, one hand still clapped over his mouth and the other holding his wrist. Sentoryou's face was enraged, but even as Yami looked up at him, the anger seemed to disappear. His hand left his mouth and instead rested against the wall beside his head.

"Shadow Flare, I'm not a man who likes to be messed with."

Yami said nothing, still looking up at him. He knew he should be afraid. He was being held up against the wall by a man who was bigger and stronger than he was, his Puzzle upstairs on his dresser. But for some reason he wasn't, because for some reason Sentoryou didn't look like he was there to hurt him.

"Why did you do it?"

"Buck."

"What?"

"Buck. I saw you with him, there at the Fire Room."

Sentoryou's brow furrowed and his hand let go of Yami's wrist, coming up against the wall on the other side of his head. "My nephew? What does he have to do with anything?"

"Buck is your nephew?"

"He's my sister's boy. What does he have to do with you drugging me and stealing my computer and briefcase?"

Yami blinked. So Kaiba had not only rifled through Sentoryou's possessions, he had stolen them as well. Naturally Sentoryou thought he had done it, since he hadn't seen Kaiba there at the hotel.

"I...I needed to know something."

"Why didn't you just ask me?" At Yami's silence, he smiled a little crookedly. "I see, because you didn't trust me. Fair enough. I trusted you too much."

"Sentoryou--"

"What does Buck have to do with anything? Did he do something to you? I love my nephew, but I don't pretend he isn't a troublemaker, like my sister does. What did he do?"

Yami didn't know what to say. Sentoryou was a good actor, he'd give him that. He looked truly concerned and confused. But he could be acting, and Yami knew better than to say too much about Takanawa, Buck, and Kaiba.

"Nothing."

Sentoryou blinked and frowned. His eyes searched Yami's and rather than looking angry, he sighed.

"I'm never really going to have a chance with you, am I?" he asked sadly.

Surprised, Yami stared at him. He hadn't been expecting...

They were both so absorbed that both jumped at the sound of a loud, angry voice.

"What the--Who the hell are you?!"

Joey was hurrying in through the open door, Yugi right behind him. Sentoryou jerked back and Yami stepped away from the wall. Here would be a chance to admit everything to Joey and Yugi, to get Sentoryou off his back for good.

"Um, Sentoryou...maybe you should go."

Everyone looked at him, but he adjusted his coat and looked at the floor rather than at them. Sentoryou glanced at him before turning and walking out the door. Joey revolved on the spot, keeping his face to Sentoryou, his fists clenched at his sides. However, he let Sentoryou walk out, just slamming the door shut. Yugi rolled up to Yami, looking concerned.

"Are you okay?"

"Yami, was that that guy from the Fire Room?"

"What?" Yugi asked. "Did something happen?"

"Yes, yes, and no. I'm fine, really. Yugi, that was Sentoryou Oka. He's a...fan from the club."

"Oh." Yugi's face turned red.

"Yami, is he messing with you?" Joey asked. "If you need some help getting him to back off--"

"No, Joey. It's fine. There's nothing to worry about." His friends stared at him for a long time. Yami hung up his coat, smiled, and headed into the kitchen. "We were going to get lunch, weren't we?"

Yugi and Joey followed him into the kitchen and though Yami could sense that both were still worried, neither made another comment. Yami busied himself making sandwiches and adding potato chips to the plates, well aware of their eyes on him. Why couldn't he bring himself to tell them everything?

'Because even though you know they'll help you, you can't stand the thought of the way they'll look at you.'

Yami paused for a moment, cursing the betrayal of his thoughts, though he knew it was true. He also knew what else was true; he'd have to go and see Kaiba.

******

"Hey, Yami! Mm, that smells good!"

Yami smiled at Yugi as he wheeled himself into the kitchen. He was just taking out a cooked ham from the oven, the table already laden with the mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, gravy, and biscuits of their Christmas dinner. Joey followed right after him, also taking an apprectiative sniff of the air.

"Yeah, that does smell good! Man, I'm starving."

"You always announce that, Joey, but we're never surprised."

Joey dug his knuckles into Yugi's hair with a playful growl before opening the refrigerator to grab the water jug and fill the glasses on the table. After that, they settled down to eat.

Once the meal was over, Yugi brought out the Christmas cookies he had proudly made himself the night before. The drop-sugar cookies were taken with egg nog in the living room and they passed out their gifts to one another. Yami hesitated for a second before handing over an envelope to Yugi.

"What's this?" Yugi opened the envelope, then gasped softly. "Yami!"

"What?" Joey asked, leaning over Yugi's shoulder to read the check Yugi was holding. "Whoa! Holy--"

They both looked up at him. Yami set down his glass and looked at them steadily. Yugi just looked shocked, but Joey's face was rapidly turning to anger.

"I thought you were done with him!"

"I was."

"Y-Yami, I thought you weren't going to worry about it?" Yugi asked weakly.

"No. Yugi, Kaiba can afford it. And we are going to accept it," Yami added sternly to Joey over the top of Yugi's head. "I'm going to work it off, it's not for free."

"Doing what?" Joey said tightly.

"Whatever Kaiba Corp. needs doing, I suppose."

"But...But why would Kaiba just give you a check for five-hundred thousand dollars?" Yugi asked. "I mean, even if you were going to work it off--"

"I convinced him," Yami said shortly.

Sometimes having the reputation he did worked. Yugi and Joey both seemed to take this as Yami had used his Shadow powers. A grudging smile tugged at Joey's lips, even though the anger hadn't left his eyes.

"You can't trust that bastard."

"I'm aware of that. I can also take care of myself, Joey." He looked down into Yugi's eyes. "Aibou, I couldn't just stand by while you suffered. I want you to walk again, almost as much as you do. Don't worry about the debt I have to Kaiba, just take the money and get the surgery."

Yugi's violet eyes were now brimming with tears. He smiled and reached out for a hug, squeezing Yami tightly. "Thank you."

//Anytime, Aibou.//

"Okay," Joey sighed. "If it's for Yug', then I'm all for it, I guess. Even if we have to deal with Kaiba."

Yugi turned his head to look at him and even at that angle Yami could see a thoughtful look in his eyes. He stood up, using the excuse of clearing the glasses and cookie-plate from the coffee table.

"We'll talk to Dr. Ashford on Monday morning, when his practice opens again."

"Yami--"

"I know, Joey. If it gets to be too much, I promise I'll let you hit him."

Joey's laughter followed him into the kitchen. Once in there, he shut his link to Yugi and began rinsing out the glasses. So here he was again, about to steal for Kaiba. And after all this time, Kaiba hadn't come anywhere closer to finding out who this Takanawa was. So much for the unlimited resources he was always going on about. Sentoryou had seemed like a possible link, but the more Yami thought about it, the less he thought that was true. Kaiba had been right; Sentoryou had never made a mention of Takanawa, and Takanawa didn't seem to know of his existence. Perhaps it was a coincidence after all.

Still, three months later and he was still stealing things. There had to be another way of going about this. Just placating Takanawa was not working. Kaiba trying to find him using Kaiba Corp. was not working. There had to be another way.

And also, here he was lying to his friends, his family. Again. And they believed him.

The shatter of the glass surprised him. He hadn't even realized he was gripping it so hard, but now the top of the cylinder had broken, slicing into the meat at the base of his thumb and the pads of his middle and ring fingers. Blood welled out and swirled with the water down the drain, so bright red. Yami stood there, watching as the red water twisted along the basin of the sink, the pain slamming up his arm with every pulse of his heart.

Mechanically he picked the pieces of glass out of the sink and threw them into the garbage can. His blood had dripped on the counter and the floor and he picked up the dish towel, wrapping his cut hand in it. It was the same hand he'd cut smashing the case in the galleria. And he felt the same detachment as he had then. What was wrong with him?

Holding his wrapped hand to his chest, he used the other to clean up all traces of blood from the counter and floor before slipping out of kitchen and heading upstairs, careful not to let either Yugi or Joey see him. In the upstairs bathroom he cleaned his cuts with antiseptic, seeing that they were deep and bloody, but hardly life-threatening.

"Yami, what happened?!"

Yugi had followed him up the stairs. Joey was still in the living room; Yami could now hear the TV. Yugi wheeled into the bathroom, his eyes wide as they surveyed Yami's hand.

"I hit the glass on the partition in the sink and it broke. I'm all right, it's not--"

"Here, let me help."

Yami was having difficulty using his left hand to put on the bandages. Yugi wheeled forward and did it himself after thoroughly inspecting the cuts.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Yugi looked up at him, brow furrowed.

"There was no reason to worry you." Yami looked away from Yugi's face, pretending to inspect the tightness of the dressings. He hadn't gotten them, because he didn't want them to know he was becoming so stressed out, he wasn't paying attention to what he was doing. They had enough to worry about themselves.

"Maybe we should take you to the hospital."

"No. It's fine, it's just a couple of little cuts."

"You're having some bad luck with glass," Yugi muttered. He didn't seem to notice Yami's guilty blanch. "Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital? You could probably use some stitches."

"I'm fine, Aibou, really. It's late and cold and you've already got it bandaged up. I'd really just rather go to bed."

He hated the way Yugi was looking at him. He could tell he was starting to be suspicious, concerned. That was not what he wanted. He had to get out of there. Hopping up from the side of the tub, he forced a smile on his face.

"Thank you, Aibou. Good night."

Yami walked past him and into his bedroom. Closing the door, he leaned against it and closed his eyes for a long moment before opening his eyes and looking down at his hand. It still hurt.

He walked over to the closet and pulled open the door. The case of beer that had previously been hidden in there was gone, but Yami had replaced it with another. Forcibly pushing down the nagging voice that told him it wasn't a solution to drink, he opened one and drank it down. It wasn't until the fourth one that his hand no longer hurt and neither did his head.

It was then he got undressed and crawled under the covers, turning off his light.

tbc…


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty-Seven:

Seto glanced up as a soft knock came to his office door. It opened without an invitation from him, but he knew who it was.

Yami walked in, dressed against the unusually bitter cold outside. It was still strange to see him wearing a heavy winter jacket and a red scarf around his neck; he was far more used to seeing him and Yugi in those sleeveless shirts and buckled collars.

It was seven-thirty on the thirtieth of December, and Yami was here to help him steal the brooch from Takanawa's rival.

It was not going to be easy. The address had arrived by fax the day after Takanawa's call to his home and he'd spent the week since learning everything he could about Jinji Kato. What he'd learned was not reassuring.

Jinji Kato was the head of another Japanese mafia family. Members of the 'family' had been incarcerated over the years for everything from petty larceny and receiving stolen property to premeditated murder and torturous assault. And for every conviction, there were dozens of unconnected rumors of people who'd gone against the family disappearing or turning up in hospitals maimed. Those who died were the lucky ones. Seto had hacked back into the police database and got the skinny on those who had crossed the family but hadn't been killed. They had lost limbs, mobility, eyes, tongues. Some were still in comas, or in assisted-living homes because they could no longer function on their own. The bloody trail of the Kato family was at least twice as bad as Takanawa's. Probably because Kato hadn't lost half his stake when Kaiba Corp. turned around.

None of which was Seto going to tell Yami. One word of what happened to those who crossed the Katos and Yami would back out for fear of Yugi and Joey, whether or not Seto had already paid him.

"Ready?" Yami asked.

Seto closed his laptop and put it into his briefcase, getting to his feet. "We're going to Tokyo."

Yami said nothing, just turned and walked with him out of the office and downstairs to the garage. Seto got into the driver's seat of his personal sports car and Yami got into the passenger seat. Around his neck were the Millennium Ring and the Puzzle. Seto couldn't see the Rod, but he was sure it was somewhere beneath his coat.

The drive to Tokyo was a long one, but neither said a word to each other the entire trip. Finally, around eleven, they had reached the correct street. Seto pulled over into the parking lot of a closed business and turned off the motor and lights. He pointed through the windshield to the enormous hotel rising up into the air across the street.

"That hotel is owned by the Kato family. In the penthouse suite on the top floor is the home of Jinji Kato, his wife, and twin girls. Takanawa wants a diamond-and-emerald brooch in the shape of a peacock. I'm guessing its either in a family safe somewhere in the penthouse or in a safebox in a bank somewhere. If its the latter, try and get one of them to tell you where."

Yami made no protest about the last bit. With the Ring and the Rod, he could make almost anyone do anything. Only a handful of people were resistant to the Dark magick of the Millennium Items.

Yami popped open his door and slid out, then pulled the hood of his coat over his head, which was very weird to see, as it oblierated the trademark spiky hair. He slid on black gloves, then shut the door and crossed the street, pulling open the lobby door of the hotel. Seto watched as he crossed the lobby and punched the button for the elevator. When the doors closed, he was out of sight, and Seto was left to sit impatiently in the car, waiting.

It took a long time. Over an hour later, he was still sitting there in the car, now nervously checking the time. He'd had to start the engine again so he could use the heater to stave off the chill. Down here in Tokyo, the winters weren't as bad as in Domino up north, but it was experiencing a chilly spell.

Despite his edginess, the penthouse windows just barely visible from his vantage point remained dark, so he doubted Yami had been detected, but what was taking him so damn long?

Finally, at long last, the elevator in the lobby opened its doors, but no one was in sight. Seto watched as the front lobby doors opened and closed by themselves and footprints in the snow appeared with no feet visible making them. The car door opened and Yami appeared, sitting down in the passenger seat and closing the door, buckling himself in. Seto put the car in gear and pulled out of the parking lot, heading off back towards the highway that would lead back to Domino.

"Well?" Seto asked in irritation. Why couldn't Yami just tell him whether he'd succeeded or not?

Yami reached into his coat and withdrew a brooch, which sat glittering on his palm beneath the streetlights they were passing. It was in the shape of a male peacock with tail-feathers extended, the silver body studded with diamonds and the tail-feathers and crown-feathers with emeralds. The eye-spots of the tail-feathers were larger emeralds and the whole thing was over four-inches in width.

"It's ugly," Yami said, staring down at it. "Why would he want that thing?"

"It was his mother's."

Seto took it out of Yami's hand and stuck it into his own inner coat pocket. Yami then surprised him, pulling out a piece of folded stationery paper.

"I know where Takanawa lives."

Shocked, Seto took the paper from him, though he didn't unfold it to read it since he was still driving. "How--?"

"Kato knows where all his rivals are and I persuaded him to tell me."

Seto put the paper into his inner coat pocket as well, unable to stop a smile on his face. Finally. Finally he knew where Takanawa was and finally he could end all of this. The only problem left was how to get to him. Yami looked at him silently a second before turning his head to stare out of the window.

"Aibou and Joey are gone," he said after a silence. "With the money you gave me, Dr. Ashford signed Aibou into the hospital where they're going to perform the surgery. It's a special institution in Chicago. He had to be there two days in advance for tests and Joey went with him; he's going to stay in a nearby hotel. I told them I'd stay here to continuing paying our bills and to begin working off the debt to you."

Seto said nothing, merely navigating the car. He still didn't understand the Friendship Gang's insistence on telling him things he didn't want to know.

"After the surgery, Dr. Ashford told him to expect a two-month stay in recovery and rehabilitation. I'm going to go and visit him the day after the surgery, which is the fourth. So you'd better not have another job to do then." Yami's head turned towards him. "Because nothing's going to stop me going there."

Seto snorted, not bothering to return his gaze. "Whatever. Go visit him if you want, I don't care. This was the last theft I'm doing for that bastard."

Even out of the corner of his eye he could see Yami's eyebrows raise. "You have a plan?"

"Yes."

He didn't go any further than that, and Yami didn't ask. He looked back out the passenger window and they lapsed into silence again. They were soon outside Toyko limits and were driving through the countryside, though there were train tracks coming up ahead of them, a few miles in the distance. There was little traffic this far out, though a couple of cars had passed them and there was one behind them.

Seto wasn't sure what made him look into the rear-view mirror at that exact instant, but he did, just in time to see the car behind them roll down its passenger-side window and a man lean out.

The gun was barely visible in the darkness and the glare of the headlights.

Without really thinking about it, Seto reached across the seat with his right hand and grabbed the back of Yami's head, shoving him face-foward.

"Get down!"

He ducked his own head just as the rear-window exploded inward. He felt the peppering of glass rain against the back of his neck and he let go of Yami's head to grab the wheel in both hands, stomping down on the acclerator. The sports car lunged forward, engine roaring. The needle of the speedometer climbed quickly from 45 to 90.

"What's going on?" Yami yelled. He twisted around in his seat to look, though he kept his head low. "Who is that? No one saw me!"

"Someone must have."

Seto pushed down on the accelerator again. He glanced in his side mirror, seeing the flash of the muzzle as the gun was fired again. Metallic pings heralded bullets striking the back of the car. One travelled through the broken back window and punched a hole into the windshield, though it didn't completely shatter. Another took a chunk out of the headrest of Seto's seat.

"Kaiba!"

At first he thought Yami's cry was merely one of fear, but then he realized he was pointing. Seto looked ahead, watching as the warning beams began to lower at the railroad crossing ahead. A train was already visible, a mere mile from the crossing. Its beam was lighting the tracks, the train's whistle blowing to warn oncoming motorists.

Seto pressed the acclerator all the way to the floor. The car jerked forward to 110.

"What are you doing?! Stop, the train's coming!"

Another bullet tore a chunk out of the edge of Yami's seat. The car behind them was also a sports car, able to match their speed, though it was about a dozen feet behind them. There was a pause as the gunman reloaded, but Seto doubted he'd run out of bullets any time soon. If he stopped, they'd catch up, and he and Yami were dead.

He glanced at the train, now a half-mile from the railroad tracks. The average speed for a train was 186 and they were now doing a 115, a dozen yards from the crossing.

"Hold on," Seto said. "There's going to be a bump."

"Are you crazy?!"

Seto ignored him, quickly doing the math in his head. 186. A quarter-mile. 115. Six yards.

The train was now blasting its whistle frantically, the driver aware that the cars coming up on its right were not slowing down. Train-racing was a very dangerous sport and if they hit, there wouldn't be much left for burial.

The car behind them was putting on its brakes, dropping speed at an alarming rate. It began to swerve and then twisted, skidding sideways along the road. Seto merely glanced at it, not daring to watch long enough to see if it flipped.

With a wooden crunch, the front bumper of the sportscar shattered the first crossing pole. With a jarring bump, the front wheels raced up the mound that evened the train tracks to the road. The car was momentarily flooded with the light front the train. The back wheels hit the mound and flew upward, putting the car at an angle. The second crossing pole smashed across the windshield, adding hundreds more spider-cracks, but it still didn't completely buckle.

The back wheels struck the earth on the other side of the train tracks and the car leveled out. Wind slammed in through the broken back window as the train whooshed by a scant three seconds later, the whistle still screaming. Seto put on the brakes, a little too hard, causing their car to skid sideways as well. He turned the wheel and the car leveled out, though it was now pointing backward towards the train tracks.

Seto stopped the car and put it into park, not realizing until that instant that his hands were shaking. The cars of the train flitted past, offering them split-second views of the car on the other side of the tracks. It had come to a stop, leaning drunkenly in the ditch at the side of the road, but still on its wheels. The headlights were illuminating a pair of male figures standing like black cardboard cutouts, standing side by side and watching them back.

Yami was sitting silently in the seat beside him. A brief glance and Seto saw that he was holding his head with his right hand. He must have hit it on the window when the car had spun, but he was conscious and didn't look too badly hurt. Instead, he was staring silently out the windshield at the passing train.

Seto was suddenly laughing. Relief and adrenaline were converging in his system, making him giddy and a little hysterical. If he'd miscalculated by even a second, the back of the car would have gotten hit by the train and the mere spin-out of it at that speed would have resulted in either their necks being snapped by the jerk or the car doing somersaults across the grass.

"SHUT UP!" Yami suddenly roared.

Seto stopped laughing, sucking in a breath. Yami was staring at him with wide eyes, looking shocked and disbelieving. Seto smirked at him and put the car back into gear, turning around and getting back into the lane heading north towards Domino.

"You're insane," Yami said in a hoarse voice.

"You're not dead, are you?"

Seto was feeling pretty good at that moment. He'd dodged the shooters, jumped the tracks, and was heading home. And he was done being Takanawa's errand boy.

tbc…


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty-Eight:

Yami leaned against the window of the Mercedes, the same window he'd struck his head against a few minutes ago. His head was pounding, but there was no blood and he hadn't passed out. His heart was still hammering crazily and he felt shaky.

Kaiba was insane. Yami still couldn't believe he'd raced a train. They could have been torn to pieces.

But they hadn't been. Kaiba had gambled their lives, but he'd won, and that was what mattered. Yami was already beginning to relax. He'd had close-calls before, and he'd already died once. He could push this aside.

What was more important was the identity of the shooters. He'd be invisible from the time he'd entered the elevator heading up to the penthouse to the time he'd climbed into the car after stealing the brooch. The elevator had only taken him to the floor below the penthouse, the access to the penthouse's private elevator as well as its stairwell requiring a passcode. Standing in the hallway, he'd employed the Millennium Rod, ensnaring the mind of one of the penthouse's occupants.

A few minutes after that, he'd been lead up the stairs to the penthouse floor by none other than Jinji Kato himself. He was an older man, in his mid-sixties, but powerfully built and with hair that was still more black than grey. He'd limped as he walked, but Yami didn't doubt the power the old man still had.

Invisible thanks to the Ring, he'd followed Kato into the study. Here was where Kato did much of his more respectable business. Three computers, a wall of cabinets containing business contracts, both legal and illegal, and a giant safe. Yami had been surprised that it wasn't a hidden safe, but this was the home of the most feared mobster in all of Japan, so no thief in his right mind would dare try to rob it.

And Yami wasn't in his right mind. What was he doing, thieving from a low-life mob boss for another low-life mob boss? Why was he still helping Kaiba? These questions were never answered.

His intentions on getting Kato to rob his own safe were interrupted by the study door opening and three people entering. Hastily moving himself into the space between the safe and the wall so he wouldn't be bumped into, he'd released Kato from the Rod so he could interact normally, knowing that the mob boss would have no memory of being under the spell.

The three people were Kato's family. His wife was a very pretty woman about twenty years younger than he was, with a curvy body just beginning to show the signs of her age. She was dressed in a silk nightgown beneath a heavier satin dressing gown, still wearing makeup and jewelry. With her were twin girls around twelve years of age, though they weren't identical.

"'Night, Daddy," one said, moving forward to hug Kato.

"Goodnight, Mizuki."

The other girl, named Hina, hugged her father as well. Then they scampered out of the room, persumably to their bedroom. Yami was a little surprised they were allowed in this room, but Kato was likely careful with what he brought home. His more unsavory business affairs most likely took place somewhere more remote.

"Goodnight, dear," Mrs. Kato said, coming forward.

Yami watched them kiss before Mrs. Kato departed and closed the door. As soon as it clicked shut, Yami invoked the Rod again, before Kato could ask himself what he was doing in the room and leave.

He forced Kato to open the safe. It was filled with money bundles, stocks, bonds, jewelry, and priceless items. Yami ignored all of it for a single item: the peacock brooch.

It was a hideous thing. Yami took it out of Kato's hand and stuffed it into his coat pocket, making Kato relock the safe. He was about to have him lead the way out when a sudden idea occurred to him. Was it possible that mob bosses knew where each other were? He supposed the whole idea was to be untraceable, but if Kato had so many connections and Takanawa really was so devastated by the loss of Kaiba Corp, maybe Kato did know.

The Eye allowed its user to read the minds of others, but Yami didn't have it with him, nor was he keen to shove it into his own eyesocket to use it. For a moment he was at a loss, before deciding to merely force Kato to write down all he knew about Takanawa's whereabouts.

To his surprise and relief, the old man promptly walked over to his desk, tore off a piece of stationery from a pad, picked up an ornate pen, and began to write. After a moment, he stopped and Yami grabbed the paper up, reading it quickly.

The address was one in Osaka, south of Kyoto.

Yami then forced Kato to show him out to the hallway at the end of the penthouse suite's stairs and then had him turn around and return to the suite. He rode the main elevator down, wondering if it were possible this was all over. He knew better than to hope too much. These were mob bosses they were dealing with, and any information could be false.

Still, it was better than nothing and worth checking out. Though Kaiba would have to do that on his own.

Now he was sitting in the passenger seat of the shot-up Mercedes, quite certain his decision was a smart one. Kaiba was playing a dangerous game here, and whether or not he'd started it, Yami was not going to help him finish it. Mob bosses had a long memory and if there was even the slightest chance that these men learned of Yami's involvement, Yugi and Joey would never be safe again.

"How did you mess up so badly you were seen?" Kaiba suddenly asked. "I thought that Ring made you invisible."

"It does. I did not mess up. No one in the hotel saw me."

"You were visible when you went into the lobby."

"Yes, but there was no one there. The front desk was empty."

"Ever heard of a thing called a security camera? You should have been invisible before you even walked in through the front doors. They probably have your face on camera."

Yami's blood went cold. If that were true, then Yugi really was in danger. Everyone mistaked them for each other and Yugi was famous. It was only a matter of time before the press got wind of the fact that he was out of the Shintaka Center and once the press knew where he lived, everyone would.

"But how would they even know to check?"

"I suspect Kato's got someone monitoring the cameras at all times."

"Oh, gods. Aibou and Joey. What have you gotten me into, Kaiba?"

"Will you relax? You said yourself that Yugi and Wheeler are in Chicago for the next two months. And who else knows that but you and I?"

"Yes, but even so, Kato will not forget."

"No, he probably won't, but don't worry about that. Or did you forget that you put your hood up? Without that ridiculous hair of yours, you don't look like anything special. All Kato will see is a runt in a black coat entering the hotel lobby. And Takanawa was stupid enough to ask for a personal item. Kato is going to assume that Takanawa sent over someone to steal his mother's brooch back. Of course, how is going to be something beyond him, if you really were invisible the whole time, but the details aren't going to matter to a mob boss. All we have to do is sit back and let the idiots blow each other apart. That's probably who was chasing us, some toughs of Kato's. They'll go back to their boss, tell him they were unsuccessful, and Kato will launch a turf war on Takanawa."

"You sound like you believe it will be so simple."

"Sometimes things are that simple. It's not that different from one company taking over another. One does something stupid, the other reacts, the first company no longer exists. I've done it all the time."

Yami wanted to believe that it would be that easy. He had put his hood up against the cold wind, and he hadn't taken it down until he'd entered the Kato penthouse and by that time he was invisible. If his hair had been covered at all times on camera, then it was possible that his identity would remain unknown to Kato. Though Kaiba had put it more cruelly, he was just another person entering the hotel lobby. And there was the problem of the fact that there would be no footage of him entering the penthouse or even leaving the hotel itself. Kato's men had merely been chasing the only car that had been near the hotel.

Nevertheless, for his friends' sake, he would have to assume it would not be that easy. On the fourth, he would board his plane like normal and head to Chicago. Once there, he would tell Yugi and Joey everything and the three of them would decide what to do from there. Perhaps they would stay in America. With Yugi's family dead, Joey's family still broken up, and Yami alone in the world, none of them really had anything holding them to Japan.

Part of him wished to immediately board a plane for Chicago and to be there by tomorrow, but the problem was was that he didn't have the money right off. The five-hundred thousand Kaiba had given him was going straight to the surgery bills, the rest of the fifty-thousand from before had gone to Joey's hotel stay, the original plane tickets, and the rehabilitation bills once the surgery was complete and Yugi was recovering. Their last paychecks had already been used up in bills and groceries and all that was in the bank was a scant twenty-four dollars. A plane ticket to Chicago had cost two-hundred and fifty-six. He would have to wait until the banks opened on Monday the third to cash his check from the Fire Room. Because of the holidays, there was a four-day weekend he would have to wait through.

But he had to believe that Kaiba was right and not panic. He would stay at the apartment for the weekend except for the final shift he had Sunday, cash the check first thing on Monday morning, and fly out to Chicago. Once there, he could put all of this behind him and get on with his life.

tbc…


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty-Nine:

For the first time Seto was happily awaiting the time when Takanawa would call him. He'd enjoyed sitting in his living room, drinking a gin and tonic and watching his clock tick past midnight on New Year's Eve. He threw back a shot of Scotch to celebrate both the New Year and the fact that he was now going to be free of that asshole.

He was woken up at three in the morning by his phone ringing. Rather than be angry, he grinned to himself and picked up the handset.

"Hello?"

"Did you forget something, Mr. Kaiba?"

"No...no, I can't think of anything."

There was a pause. "Was there a problem in getting the brooch?"

"No. No trouble. I have it here. Your mother had terrible taste."

Takanawa growled threateningly over the phone. "Oh, I see. Did you get drunk, Mr. Kaiba? Is that why you've suddenly got balls?"

Seto chuckled in amusement, rolling lazily onto his back and settling into the softness of his bed, still holding the phone to his ear.

"I'm not drunk. I'm done, Takanawa. See, you can only push me so far. By the way, how good a friends are you and Kato?"

"...why?"

"No reason." Seto grinned and pressed the end button on his phone.

He was just drifting off when his phone rang again. Now irritated, he picked it up. If this was going to be Takanawa's game, calling him again and again, he was going to just unplug his phone.

"Yeah?"

"Is this Seto Kaiba?"

It was a voice he'd never heard before, a man's voice with a slight lisp. He sat up in bed, frowning.

"Yes. Any reason you're calling me at four in the morning? Make it quick, before I hang up and forget you entirely."

The man chuckled. "I've heard from a lot of people that you've got spunk, kid. I'm glad to see that's true. You'd make quite a partner in my...business. But I've got to trust the people who work for me, and thieves are never very trustworthy."

Seto stared at the comforter over his legs. "Thief?"

"I wonder if you've still got that brooch you stole from me."

"Kato?"

"That's Mr. Kato. Show some respect to your elders, boy. Now answer my question."

"I...How did you know?"

"You're quite photo-genic. My security camera got a lovely shot of you sitting in your Silver 2003 Mercedes-Benz across the street from my hotel."

Seto dropped his head back, closing his eyes. Shit. He'd failed to notice if the outdoor security cameras were angled enough to see across the street. Most places didn't, but considering Kato's guaranteed paranoia, he would want a greater view of his surroundings than most people.

"I must admit, I'm quite surprised that you managed to ask Yugi Moto to help," Kato continued. "Him, I've heard to be quite a nice guy."

"That wasn't Yugi."

"Don't insult my intelligence, Kaiba. Who doesn't know what you, or Yugi, look like. You're the famous little card game players from yesterday. Your images were annoyingly plastered all over every television set and poster for four years. I know that ludicrous hair."

Seto groaned. Yami hadn't put his hood up until he'd already gotten out of the car. The camera would have gotten an even better look at him.

"Yugi's not in the country."

"Skipped already, did he? Then why did my boy insist he watched Yugi walk into an apartment on Lennox at six this evening?"

Lennox Ave. was definitely the right street. Kato already had someone sitting outside Yami's apartment. "Um..."

"I do love it when I strike so much fear into someone, they can't form a sentence. Here's the deal, Kaiba. You're going to give me back that brooch. Tomorrow morning, nine a.m. sharp, you and Yugi are going to be knocking on the door of 656 Ano Drive in Koufu. Don't show up and, well, let's just say you will wish you had. Goodnight, Mr. Kaiba."

The phone was hung up. Seto slowly pushed the end button, then threw the phone across the room. It hit the wall, shattered, and fell to the floor. He put his head in his hands, groaning. He'd tried to make things better and he'd made things worse. Now he had two mob bosses after him. And unlike Takanawa, this one seemed to be playing for real.

Because Seto knew where Koufu was. It was a tiny little city south of Tokyo. It was also where forty-six torn-apart bodies had been found over the course of three decades, all suspected of being the work of the Kato family and none of which had been connected. If he and Yami went there, they'd be numbers forty-seven and forty-eight. Kato was going to make an example of them, whether or not he got his brooch back.

And it was clear that ignoring him wasn't going to help either. He knew where they both lived and he wouldn't hesitate to storm in and shoot them dead in their homes.

The only chance was to get out, regroup, and find some other way out of this. Why was it, in this situation, when it seemed like he got one step ahead, something happened to shove him back to square one?

He glanced at the clock, seeing that it was a quarter to five. He climbed out of bed and grabbed a suitcase out of his closet, beginning to fill it with clothes, his mind going a mile a minute. There was a problem with skipping town. He was famous. There was no where to go that Kato couldn't find him with his connections. The press itself, or avid Duel Monsters fans, or even just the fact that everyone knew his face would make hiding impossible.

And he had his brother to think about. Mokuba and Marianne would be in Domino on the fifth to stay a couple of days before they headed to England. They were in Kyoto even now. It wouldn't take much for Kato to get to them. If he didn't have Seto to flay alive, he'd get to the family first.

An idea occurred to him, but he wouldn't be able to put it into motion until later in the morning.

Seto cleaned out the necessities in the bathroom, then set the suitcase, a small bag and his briefcase with his laptop and deck in it on the floor near the door. Then he unlocked the drawer by the door, pulling out his gun. Adding a couple boxes of extra catridges to his suitcase, he set the gun on top of the small table.

Now there was nothing left to do but sit and wait until he could get things into gear.

Seto made himself an early breakfast at seven-thirty, then got on his cell-phone and made a couple of calls. Roland promised he'd come through. And now the rest was up to him.

Seto grabbed up his bags, made sure the safety was on his gun before tucking it into his waistband, peeked through the curtains, and then crossed to the door leading to the underground, six-car garage. The Mercedes was still shot to hell, so he chose his Camaro and stuffed his bags into the back. Climbing into the driver's side, he pushed the automatic garage-door opener and pulled out.

There were no cars in sight at the bottom of the hill the mansion sat on, but he knew not to trust that. He would just make a bee-line for Kaiba Corp. and get to the Blue Eyes White Jet.

He was half-way there when something he thought he'd killed niggled at him: his conscience. Damn it, but Kato knew where Yami was living, and he'd be sure to pay him a visit.

Seto turned the car reluctantly and headed over to Lennox. He pulled over to the curb and climbed out of the car, his hand staying near the gun in his waistband. This was his life now--running from his own home with a gun on his person.

Looking everywhere, he walked up the ramp to the front door.

It was open.

Seto took the gun out of his waistband and held it ready at his side, using his other hand to push open the front door. He walked into the living room and saw that the whole apartment was trashed. The cushions had been yanked off the chairs and couch and thrown everywhere, the coffee table was upended, the curtains pulled half-off their rods. He could see into the kitchen and it was a minefield of broken dishes and glasses, food yanked out of the refrigerator, and utensils strewn about. The elevator near the stairs had its glass panels smashed in.

It certainly didn't look good for Yami, but Seto still went up the stairs. Like everything else, he had to be sure.

The upper floor was just as trashed as the lower. The doors had been kicked in rather than just opened, the contents of the bathroom and bedrooms scattered across the floors.

But there was no trace of Yami. Seto knew his bedroom was the one at the end of the upper hallway on the left, which he knew only because of the vast amount of leather pants and the fact that there were no rails drilled into the walls like in the bedroom across from the bathroom that would help Yugi get into his bed. The bedroom at the end of the hall was just as torn apart as the rest, but there was no blood to be seen.

So where was Yami? Had they managed to drag him off without making him bleed? He supposed that was possible, but his instincts said no. If they had come upon Yami while he was home, they would have either killed him outright or taken him back to Koufu to kill him slowly. The fact that the apartment was torn apart sounded more like Yami hadn't been home and Kato's men had taken their frustration out on his possessions. His own mansion was likely to suffer similarly now that he wasn't there.

There was only one other place to check. Seto grabbed a suitcase from the floor and grabbed a few handfuls of random clothes from the floor and stuffed them into it, finishing by grabbing some things from the floor of the bathroom. He couldn't risk another moment there and headed down the stairs to his car. No one seemed to be around, but he wasn't about to believe in good luck.

Throwing Yami's bag into the backseat with his own, he started the car and headed to the only other place he could think of that Yami was likely to be at. And if he wasn't, then the punk was on his own. There was only so long that Seto could stand letting his conscience rule over what was the smart thing to do.

The Fire Room was almost empty on a Sunday morning. Sure enough, Yami was on the stage, clearly at the very beginning of his dance, since he was still completely dressed. Not wasting any time, Seto walked right up and grabbed Yami's wrist, yanking him off the stage.

"Kaiba, what--?"

"Hey! Get your hands off him." This was what was obviously a bouncer, an enormous man who looked like he could play pro football.

"It's okay, Nobuyuki."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Thank you."

Nobuyuki gave Seto a glance, then turned and walked away. Yami turned and walked towards the same niche near the back entrance where he'd talked to Seto before, turning back towards him and folding his arms.

"Okay. What is it now?"

"Kato knows who we are."

"What? But I thought--"

"One of the cameras was trained on the parking lot where we were."

Yami started to say something else, but his eyes went past Seto's arm and his mouth closed. At that moment, a new voice spoke up.

"Okay, Kaiba. Thanks for making this so easy for us, going right to him."

The speaker was a tough-looking thug with a scar that looked like he'd been burned covering the left half of his face, the skin of his eyebrow hanging down over his eye, half-covering it. He smiled cruelly.

"Let's go, boys."


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty:

Yami lifted his eyes from the gun in Kato's man's hand to his face. He was a dangerous-looking thug, one who had clearly been in some fights. His face was horribly scarred, his eyes cold and merciless, the smile on his face promising he'd shoot them without a second's hesitation.

Kaiba had turned around when the man came up to them, but there was nothing he could do. It was over, they'd been caught. Maybe, if they went quietly with them, they'd be able to think of a way to escape. The Puzzle would be a big help, but it was in the back stage room. Could he somehow trick this guy into taking them back there?

"Don't try anything funny, Kaiba," the man sneered. "I'm not alone, and I will shoot you here in front of everyone."

Yami's eyes scanned the Fire Room quickly. He knew everyone there, staff and patrons included, and the only one who didn't belong was a man who looked exactly like the thug in front of them. Big, burly, short hair, cruel eyes, the only difference being the fact that there was no scar on his face. He was far enough away that they wouldn't be able to take him out, but close enough, he could help if the first guy needed it. His eyes were on them, unmoving, his arms folded across his chest in a way that looked unobtrusive, but allowed him to reach his gun easily.

"Where's the brooch, Kaiba?" the first guy asked. "Kato would really like it back."

"I have it," Yami said quickly, before Kaiba could respond. "Backstage, in my bag."

"Why?"

"We were going to give it to Takanawa after my shift."

"Oh, right. He sent you, Kato mentioned that. Come on, hurry up and get it. I will die a happy man if I never saw a fag like you strip-teasing."

Yami ignored the insult and turned towards the little door that led to backstage, knowing he was being followed by both Kaiba and the thug. He walked over to tiny locker in the bay and unlocked the door. Inside was his Puzzle and he grabbed it in relief. When he turned around, the thug was holding the gun practically in his face, no doubt worried about a gun being stashed in there.

"What the hell's that thing? That real gold? Bet the boss would like that as a bonus. Hand it over."

Yami smiled and lifted up the Puzzle. "No."

He pulled the magick to him, staring the thug right in the eyes. He felt the heat on his forehead as his Eye opened up, the shadows swirling around him. The thug got out a weak protest before he toppled over backwards, unconscious.

Yami threw the chain around his neck and looked at Kaiba. "What are we going to do about Kato?"

"No idea. Let's go."

"Go where? We have to think--"

"They know where we are. We have to go."

"You sound like you mean into hiding."

"Unfortunately, that is where I mean. Let's go, I've got your stuff in the car and that second guy's going to wonder where he friend is in a second."

"No. No, I can't, Aibou--"

Yami didn't even feel the punch that put him under.

******

When Yami came to, he was slumped awkwardly in the backseat of the Blue Eyes White Jet, which he knew only because he was tilted so that he was looking right out of the window and when he opened his eyes, he was greeted with the sight of trees and rivers passing far below. Sitting up straight, he gingerly touched the point of his jaw, where Kaiba's fist had landed. It was bruised and tender and his head pounded with a headache.

"Kaiba!"

"I take it you're awake."

"How dare you hit me?!"

"I seem to recall someone slapping me in the face."

Yami leaned forward against the restraining harness, attempting to peer around the seat at Kaiba, but there was no room. He suddenly realized that the Puzzle was no longer hanging from his chest and when he made a comment about that fact, Kaiba held it up above his seat.

"It's right here. I don't need you trying to mess with my head while I'm flying."

Yami tried to grab it, but Kaiba dropped it out of sight; Yami heard it clunk on the floor. "Give it back to me!"

Kaiba merely chuckled. Yami scowled, but there was little he could do. He settled back against his seat, looking out the window. They were passing ocean now, meaning they weren't even on Honshu island anymore.

"Where are we going?"

"Some place they can't find us. You said Yugi and Wheeler are in America, Mokuba and Marianne are in England where I can reach them."

Yami narrowed his eyes at the back of Kaiba's head. "So you're running away?"

"No. But I am getting out of the line of fire to regroup. I didn't expect Kato to know we were the ones who stole the brooch. And you should be grateful; I could have let them get to you. It's just good luck you weren't at home when they got there."

Yami swallowed, though he was more concerned that Kato would somehow find that Yugi and Joey were in Chicago. He was just glad they'd gotten the first available slot for the surgery at the Chicago Institute rather than waiting. But he and Kaiba were in a worse situation than they'd been in before.

"I suppose there's no chance they'll go after each other like you'd hoped?"

"There's still a good chance of that. Kato knows that Takanawa sent us."

"Well, forgive me if I don't keep my hopes up. You've been wrong until now."

Yami smiled as he heard Kaiba growl. Nevertheless, it was true. Kaiba had had almost four months to fix this, and he had made it worse rather than better.

Yami watched the ocean pass under the plane, the storm-grey clouds pass above it. He realized that there was snow flitting by the glass, but it wasn't too thick.

The Jet began to descend. Yami looked down again, watching a tiny island become slightly bigger as they descended towards it. It wasn't until they were skimming the trees did Yami see what looked like a wooden, two-story cabin sitting in the middle of a clearing. Kaiba set the Jet easily down on the cabin's front lawn and the engines whined down.

"What is this place?"

Kaiba sighed and popped the latch on the cockpit lid. A blast of frigid air hit Yami in the face and he winced, hugging his arms to himself. He hadn't had his coat or gloves on in the club and apparently Kaiba hadn't considered putting them on him after he'd knocked him unconscious a top priority.

Kaiba climbed easily out of the Jet, landing on the snow-covered ground. Yami stood up on the floor of the Jet, peering down at the ground. He hated to admit it to himself, but it looked a good distance away. Kaiba had opened a compartment in the Blue Eyes' belly, the Puzzle hanging by its chain from his hand, and was removing a pair of suitcases. Yami recognized his own.

"Where'd that come from?"

"I grabbed some of your stuff while I was at your apartment. Are you going to get down anytime soon?"

Yami grabbed the edge of the Jet and climbed over it, landing on the extended wing. Kaiba gave him a glare, but he ignored him, jumping down to the ground. Kaiba shoved his suitcase and his Puzzle into his chest.

"Nice manly hop there, runt."

Yami glared at him, but Kaiba merely turned away and walked towards the front of the cabin. Yami was freezing, so he hurried to catch up. He realized belatedly that his jacket had been tied in a knot around the handle of his suitcase, but there was no point in putting it on now. He did throw his Puzzle around his neck, glad that it was still with him.

"Mr. Kaiba!"

Yami looked up, seeing Roland striding across the front lawn towards them. He stopped in front of Kaiba and smiled.

"It's all set up, just like you asked. It was already furnished, the owner was happy to get it rented. Here are the keys. What are my orders now?"

"Go home. Send me daily updates of Kaiba Corp's progress, but put everything but the most necessary operations on hold until I get back. Allow no one but those on Kaiba Corp's payroll into the building. If anyone asks about me, no matter who they are, give them no information. I'll be back in a few days."

Yami doubted Kaiba had told Roland everything that was happening, considering his extreme paranoia with his image and asking for help, so he could only guess as to what Roland thought of the fact that he and Kaiba were going to be staying alone together at a cabin on a remote island. The possible rumors sure to circulate amused him.

"Yes, sir," Roland said.

He bowed and walked around behind the cabin. Kaiba strode up to the front door of the cabin, opening the front door and going inside. Yami followed him, looking around, hearing the dull whumps of helicopter blades from the back of the house. The style was mostly modern, with black leather and chrome sofa and chairs, glass and chrome coffee table and chrome lamps with blue shades, blue curtains, and a gigantic stone-mantled fireplace. The fireplace was probably only for effect, as the cabin was already very warm, heated by modern electric.

Kaiba looked irritated as he turned towards him. "Here's how it's going to go. I only brought you here--"

"To keep your conscience from making you feel guilty."

Kaiba gave him a furious glare. "--because I might still need you. But I'd much rather not have to have you around 24/7. So stay out of my way. Take whatever bedroom upstairs that you want and do your best to make me think you're not here."

Yami tossed his suitcase down on the floor. "All right, that's it. I've had enough of your nastiness, Kaiba. I know you're, as Joey is so happy to say, a jackass, but I'm not going to take your insults any longer. *You* dragged *me* into this--"

"I paid you. I brought you here so you wouldn't get skinned alive by Kato. My obligations to you are over with and I never had to be nice to you. If you really think you can't handle that, I'll be happy to take you back to Domino and let you sweet-talk Kato out of leaving you in a shallow grave in Koufu." Kaiba paused and then glanced down at the Puzzle around Yami's neck. "Doesn't that thing let you ruin people's minds? Why haven't you used that on Kato?"

"I don't crush people's minds on a whim."

"Really? When did that change?"

Yami had admit, Kaiba had him there. The reason Yugi had been so frightened of him was that he had been merciless with his punishments. Kaiba himself had been on the receiving end of his Mind Crush.

"So now you're turning to magick?"

Kaiba sighed heavily. "Unfortunately. I'll use anything to win. Haven't you learned that by now? So why haven't you used it?"

"I've never seen Takanawa and you were going to use Kato to take care of the problem. So doing so would have been foolish."

Kaiba rubbed his head. "Right. But that might not happen now. If I take you back there tomorrow, can you do it?"

"No."

"What? Why not?!"

"Kato has a family. Two little girls and a wife. I'm not going to kill a man and leave three women alone."

"He's a mobster!"

"If the criteria for a killing Mind Crush is to be murderous, cruel, and sadistic, you and I both fit. Hold still."

Yami raised his hand towards Kaiba, who smacked it to the side with a growl. Smirking, Yami bent down to pick up his suitcase. "I will not hurt Kato unless he's about to hurt someone I care about first. He was dragged into this just like you and I, and what kind of man he is doesn't figure into this."

"What about Takanawa?"

"He began this. If you manage to track him down, I'll at least make sure he never wants to even think about you again. Didn't I give you his address?"

"Yeah. I'll look into it."

Yami headed up the stairs. There were four bedrooms, making the cabin bigger than he'd originally thought. He skipped over the first one, which looked like it had belonged to a nine-year-old girl with lots of pink and frills. The second one looked like it belonged to a teenage boy with an emotional problem, black sheets and curtains, a skull poster on the wall, and blood-red carpet. The headboard and dresser were painted black with red slashes to look like a cat's claw marks.

It was a little unnerving, and yet Yami was oddly drawn to the room. Red and black, his favorite colors, and there was something 'cool' about the claw mark designs. He walked in, setting his suitcase on the floor and removed the skull poster, sticking it on the top shelf in the closet.

It only took a couple of minutes to unpack. His clothes and toiletries had been stuffed into the bag in a hurry, which panned if Kaiba had walked in just after Kato's men had wrecked the apartment. Good luck was on their side for the time being; the train, missing the thugs, getting away from the club. It wasn't going to last.

"Figures you'd choose this one."

Yami glanced up, closing the drawer to the dresser. Kaiba was standing in the doorway with his suitcase in his hand, looking around the room with unconcealed disgust.

"The bedroom of a serial prostitute killer."

Yami smirked, sitting down on the edge of the single bed. "I like it."

"Figures."

"What's your choice, Kaiba?"

"Not that pink one, that's for sure. It looks like someone threw up pepto bismol in there."

Kaiba turned and walked down the hall. Curiosity made Yami follow him. The last two bedrooms were across from each other at the end of the hallway. The one on the left, facing the front of the cabin, was a fairly unisex room, not giving away the occupant's gender. It might have been a guest room. The one on the right was obviously the parents' room, the largest by far and done in emerald and white with brown furniture.

"Figures you'd take the biggest one."

"Well, I need more room than you do."

Yami scowled at Kaiba's satisfied smirk and turned to go back downstairs. He was hungry, the headache from Kaiba's punch finally leaving him, and he decided to make himself something to eat. The refrigerator was a double-doored stainless steel refrigerator that was filled with food. He supposed Roland had filled it under Kaiba's orders. He pulled out the makings for a turkey sandwich and sat down at the kitchen breakfast nook to eat it.

He looked around the ultra-modern kitchen. He wasn't going to stay here. Yugi and Joey were in Chicago, expecting him there in a couple of days and he was going to be there. Yugi needed his support, he'd asked for it, and Yami wasn't going to let him down.

tbc…


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter Thirty-One:

Damn it. Yami had been with him here in this cabin for only thirty minutes, and Seto already knew it was a mistake to have brought him here. He should have set Yami on a plane and let him go to Chicago. Well, it wasn't too late. He'd book him a flight tomorrow for after he destroyed Takanawa with his Mind Crush and be done with him. He could return to his own house and get on with his life.

After putting away his possessions, he headed downstairs. Yami was sitting in the kitchen, eating a sandwich. Seto ignored him, cooking himself a steak and baked potato, taking it into the dining room rather than sitting with him.

His briefcase was in the living room and he fetched it before sitting down to eat. Turning it on, he started the wireless internet browser and checked his e-mail. Nothing but reports from his employees, the subjects of which he only browsed. Nothing from Mokuba.

He turned on a map search engine and put in Takanawa's address. It was a real one, so he could only hope Kato had it right. He'd already tried putting in Takanawa's name for a picture search, but there were three possibilities of Hiroshi Takanawa that fit the age and status profiles, so that was no good.

An idea came to him and he put in a new search in the photo search engine. Hiroshi Takanawa and Gozaburo Kaiba. Luck was still on his side and a photo of Gozaburo standing with a short, fat man about his own age came up. He studied Takanawa's face, reading the accompanying article. It was a newspaper piece about Gozaburo's weapons company signing a contract with Takanawa's computer programming company.

Computer programming. That had to be a front for something else. A weapons manufacturer would hire a personal programmer, not make deals with another company. Having someone on your personal payroll insured less chances of mixing up programs or having your internal secrets made public. Kaiba Corp. had everything it needed right in its own boundaries. As much as Seto hated his adopted father, he had to admit they were alike in their business thinking. Gozaburo would have been just as paranoid. And losing a contract with an arms manufacturer wasn't likely to cause the financial devastation Takanawa had been talking about. If one company changed its direction, the second would merely seek a contract with a third. The only way for Takanawa's business to have gone under was for it to have invested everything in Kaiba Corp. and no businessman was that stupid.

What then? What could Takanawa have had that would have relied completely on Gozaburo? Finding out wasn't necessary, but it was good to know all you could about an enemy before you engaged him.

Well, at least now he knew who Takanawa was. He hacked into the DMV to check the records and found two entries for luxury cars registered to him. Same picture, same address as what Yami had gotten from Kato.

After the DMV, he hacked into the police database again and put in Hiroshi Takanawa. His target was entry number four and he clicked on the file. Takanawa had several minor records for assault, receiving stolen property, and drug possession, all at least twenty years old. So he'd gotten smarter, not cleaner.

Drugs. That word stayed in Seto's mind as he backed out of the police database and wiped his computer's memory of that route to ensure no one could trace him. Drugs and firearms could be linked. How Gozaburo in particular fit into it, he still wasn't sure, but there was a lot of possibilities.

"Yami!"

Yami walked into the dining room, looking aggravated. "I'm am not at your beck and call."

"I found Takanawa." He turned his laptop around so Yami could see the blown-up picture. "That's him. I found an article from about fifteen years ago that says he and my stepfather had a contract. The article says he's a computer programmer, but I'll bet that's a cover-up."

Yami studied the photo. "Fine. Get me there tomorrow and I'll send him to the Shadow Realm."

"What if he has some little kids?" Seto sneered.

Yami gave him a cold look then turned on his heel and went upstairs. Seto shut down his computer and finished his dinner. At last it was over. He'd fly Yami out to Osaka tomorrow and let him use his black magick.

Seto went to bed not long after that, tired after a sleepless night, constant adrenaline, and a long flight.

******

Seto woke to Yami yelling from downstairs. He was telling him to come down to the ground floor, and Seto climbed out of bed with a snarl. He threw his robe over his pajamas and stalked down the stairs. Yami was standing by the main living room window, his own robe tied closed over his clothes. Seto hadn't even realized he'd grabbed it when he'd filled his suitcase.

"What?!" he snapped as soon as he walked into the living room. "You yell at me for telling you to--"

"Shut up and look out the window."

Seto stepped forward, looking past Yami out the living room window and felt his stomach drop.

Good luck had decided to run out on them.

Overnight, at least four feet of snow had dropped on them. He could just barely see the Blue Eyes White Jet across the lawn; it looked almost buried, only some of its face, tail, and legs visible. There would be no getting it off the ground. Even if he cleared all of the snow off of it, there was too much on the ground to allow the wheels to move. He could try to clear the ground as well, but it was snowing thick and fast even as he watched, and it was unlikely he could clear the ground before more snow fell to mess with the tires.

"Damn it."

"Could you call for a ride?" Yami was watching the snow fall.

Seto turned to his briefcase. There were no ground lines in the cabin, no TV. He'd had to take what he could get, and this cabin was the only thing available at the time.

He wasn't surprised to see that his cell-phone had "No Service" scrolling across the screen. He dropped it back into his suitcase.

"The snow is interfering with the signal."

Yami sighed and let his head thunk against the glass. "Great."

Seto sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I guess there's nothing to do but wait it out."

"That could take weeks."

"And I told Roland I'd call him by Wednesday. When I don't report in, on the dot, he'll immediately come in the chopper to see what happened."

"Wednesday?"

"You're not going to starve."

"I'm not worried about that! I'm supposed to be at the Chicago hospital on Tuesday."

"You're going to have to deal with that."

Seto turned and headed upstairs to shower and change. If they were really stuck here for a couple more days, he'd at least get some work done from his computer.

******

Yami was a chore. He'd complained bitterly about missing his trip to Chicago about six times already and it was only Monday afternoon. They'd only found out about the snow that morning and Yami hadn't even missed his flight yet.

"Do you think you can possibly, just for five minutes, keep your mouth shut?" Seto snarled at him, looking up from his computer to Yami across the dining room table. Why he'd even followed him in there was beyond him.

Yami gave him a deadly glare. Seto matched it without looking away and was supremely pleased when Yami finally got up with a huff and walked away. He heard the front door slam and turned back to his computer. At last some peace and quiet.

A hour or so later, Yami hadn't come back. Seto got up from his chair and stretched. Contrary to popular belief, he didn't spend every waking second behind his computer. At least once a day he liked to go out for some fresh air and exercise. After all, he didn't have the body of someone who sat at a desk all day.

It was no doubt bitterly cold outside, but he gathered his trench coat anyway and headed outside. The snow was still falling, but less heavily than before. Nevertheless, the snow was now up to his waist. Still, he plowed through it, determined to have some fresh air.

He headed out into the woods, unconcerned with becoming lost. The island was small enough that he could cross the entirety of it in three hours and his path was deep enough that it was unlikely to fill with snow before he turned around. The air was very cold, but refreshing and having to push his way through the snow made walking even more strenuous.

"Kaiba, what are you doing out here?"

It was Yami, standing not too far away. Seto looked at him and smirked, amused.

"I'm surprised your head's above the snow-level." That was an overstatement, but he enjoyed Yami's enraged look.

"Can you never say something that is not an insult?" he grated out.

"Don't make it so easy."

Yami stalked forward, looking up at him. Seto chuckled, watching him make his way with difficulty through snow that was almost chest-high on him.

"We are stuck together for another couple of days. We could make an effort to be civil to each other."

"Hm. Maybe if you weren't so teeth-gratingly irritating, I could succeed in that."

He started forward, deliberately bumping Yami with his shoulder. To his surprise, Yami responded by shoving him. Seto turned towards him. Yami was looking up at him, his spiky hair dusted with snow and a mean smirk on his face. Seto had to admire his courage, even if it pissed him off to no end.

"Don't shove me," he warned.

"Maybe if you were so teeth-gratingly irritating, I wouldn't," Yami sneered. He shoved Seto hard again.

Seto knew it was stupid, but he shoved him back. Yami hit a nearby tree, bouncing off and nearly falling. Seto had shoved him with all his considerable strength. Yami looked startled and angry at the same time. He started to swing and Seto caught his wrist like he had in the car, catching the other when Yami attempted to punch with his left hand. He jerked him forward to throw off his balance, then spun them, shoving Yami down. They hit the ground, Yami nearly buried in the snow. He was still struggling, so Seto leaned his weight into him, putting his knee against his sternum.

"What are you bothering fighting for?" Seto snapped. "You're way too small to do any damage to me."

Yami snarled up at him, struggling to pull his arms free. Seto was thoroughly enjoying this and he let go after another entertaining moment of humiliating him, standing up. Yami sat up, bearing his teeth, snow clinging to every inch of him.

"Like fighting a six-year-old," Seto sneered.

He turned and walked off. Yami didn't try to strike him from behind, which didn't surprise him. He did have some pride, after all.

Seto walked for a little while more before deciding to turn around. He did so, then paused, seeing something out of place.

His tracks were missing.

He turned on the spot, looking to see if he'd zig-zagged without realizing it. Nothing. The snow extended outward in all directions, unbroken except by the trunks of the trees. There was no trail. And that was impossible. Even though the snow was still falling, it wasn't nearly thick enough to cover his path.

"What's wrong, Kaiba?"

Seto spun around again. Yami's voice was echoing slightly through the trees, but he was nowhere to be seen. Seto plunged forward, trying to find what tree he was hiding behind, but despite circling his previous position, he couldn't find him.

"Where are you, damn it?"

"Are you...lost?"

Now he knew what was happening. Yami was using that Puzzle of his to make Seto think his foot prints had been erased. He tried to push the magick away, to focus his mind on reality, but the trail did not reappear. The snow remained pure and clean, even the tracks he'd made searching behind the trees missing. It was like he'd been dropped from the air into the snow.

"Enough games!"

"But I live for games, Kaiba," Yami said silkily.

His voice seemed to come from every direction at once. Seto spun on the spot, hoping to see some movement, some color, but there was nothing but the trees, the snow, and the silence.

"Damn it, lift this stupid curse or whatever it is you did!"

There was no answer. Seto growled and instead tried to get his bearings on his own. He was definitely beginning to get cold. It was sinking through the layers of his clothes, his feet and legs becoming numb from the constant exposure to the snow. And looking around was proving fruitless. The sky was covered in iron-grey clouds, so the sun was no help. And the woods looked the same in every direction.

Well, the island wasn't that big. He could find the cabin before nightfall, even if he walked the length of the island and had to turn around. So he started off, walking purposefully through the trees.

Suddenly a black patch like an oil slick appeared in front of him and he stopped, mistrustful. The oil slick suddenly came to life; a half dozen thick black coils exploded from the pool and lunged at him. Three each wound around his legs and pulled, knocking him off his feet and into the snow. He tried to reach down and pull them off, but his hands passed right through them even though they remained solid around his legs.

Now the tendrils were pulling him towards the pool. His feet disappeared as if the slick was bottomless, making it seem as if he was being pulled into the ground. He tried to pull back, but the coils were invincible. His legs began to disappear and now more coils appeared, wrapping around his arms, his waist, up to his chest. Every attempt to pull them off met with failure.

"Yami!"

"Yes?"

He looked over to watch Yami walk from behind a tree, arms folded over his chest, Puzzle and third-Eye glowing and a cruel smile on his face. His eyes seemed to be gleaming like an animal's in the semi-darkness.

"Stop this!"

The coils dragged him deeper, up to his waist. They climbed higher, up to his neck. He sank in up to his chest and a coil wrapped around his face, over his mouth. He was still struggling, but he was losing fast. And now he couldn't help but be afraid. He was sinking into the ground and maybe he'd pushed Yami too far. Maybe this was the Shadow Realm once and for all.

The slick lifted a part of itself in a wave and closed over his head.

He opened his eyes to find himself lying face down in the snow, his exposed skin burning. He slowly climbed to his feet, trying to brush the snow off of his face with his gloved hands. His nose, ears, and chin were completely numb.

Yami began to laugh. Seto looked up quickly, only to see that he was gone, his laughter coming from nowhere, echoing from every direction at once. It went on and on, growing in volume until it passed human capability of loudness and duration. Seto looked around and finally snapped.

"SHUT UP, YOU LITTLE BASTARD!"

The laughter ceased, but there remained the distinct air of amused malice. Breathing hard, now beginning to shiver uncontrollably from the cold, he looked around.

His tracks had reappeared. He could see with embarrassment and anger how much he'd been thrashing in the snow, fighting coils that had never been there.

He started back towards the cabin. He was going to kill him. Screw needing him to send Takanawa to the Shadow Realm, he was going to tear him to pieces and end Takanawa on his own.

When Seto got back to the cabin, Yami was stretched out on the couch, his coat hanging over the back of one of the chairs, his hands behind his head and a smile on his face. The snow on Seto's clothes immediately melted in the heat of the cabin and he was still shivering, his feet, fingers, nose, and ears beginning to burn as they woke back up.

"Enjoy your walk?" Yami asked smugly. He twisted, putting himself on his side with his head propped on his bent arm and leaned forward a little. "How's that for damage?"


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter Thirty-Two:

Yami watched Kaiba turn and walk up the stairs. He looked pathetic, his clothes sticking to him with the water of the melted snow, his hair flattened against his skull, nose and chin cherry red. He was still visibly shivering and was walking with difficulty which Yami attributed to the fact that his feet had to be frozen in their boots.

A few minutes later he heard the water running in the bathroom upstairs, the shower turned on. Chuckling to himself, Yami rolled onto his back and folded his hands on his stomach, looking up at the ceiling.

His amusement slowly drained out of him. He was stuck here with him for at least another couple of days, he was going to miss greeting Yugi after his surgery and he wouldn't even be able to call him to tell him why. He could only imagine what they would think.

Eventually the water turned off and Kaiba came back downstairs, dressed in different clothes, his hair still damp. He ignored Yami completely and walked into the kitchen. Yami sighed and rolled off the couch, going into the kitchen after him.

"Look, Kaiba. We really need to get over this animosity. We're in a very dangerous situation."

Kaiba made no comment, getting himself a drink of milk from the refrigerator.

"So I can put aside our differences if you can. You have to admit, it's the smart thing to do."

Kaiba turned and brushed past him, going out of the kitchen. He hadn't said a word at all and Yami thought he knew Kaiba's game. He was ignoring him.

Yami sighed and opened the refrigerator to get his own drink. He didn't think Kaiba was really mentally hurt, just pissed. Though he was surprised he hadn't verbally assaulted him. Probably he was afraid Yami would use the Puzzle to mess with him again.

******

Kaiba's silent treatment continued the next morning when their paths crossed again during breakfast. Yami was making himself an omelet with sliced mushrooms and cheese when Kaiba came in. He walked right past where Yami was standing and got into the refrigerator, pulling out a carton of orange juice, which he poured a glass from before putting it back. Yami scooped his omelet out of the pan onto a plate and took it to the kitchen breakfast nook table where his glass of milk was already standing.

Kaiba got a bowl of cereal and walked right into the dining room. He didn't look at Yami once.

Yami finished his breakfast and put the dishes in the sink before turning around and heading into the dining room. He hated Kaiba's degrading attitude, but the cabin was silent enough as it was. As much as he didn't want to admit it to himself, he'd rather have Kaiba fighting with him than ignoring him.

Kaiba glanced up automatically before making a slight face and turning back to his computer.

"Are you going to be avoiding me for the rest of the time we're stuck here?"

Kaiba said nothing, just continued to type away on his laptop. Yami smirked and leaned against the table, folding his arms.

"So you're scared of me now."

The response was explosive. Kaiba leapt to his feet, striking the table with his thighs in his haste, making it jerk. His face was furious and he clenched both fists at his side. Yami watched him warily, but didn't take a step back. He'd set Kaiba back with his nastiness, and he wasn't about to undo that by backing down.

"Scared of you? Don't make me laugh."

Yami smirked up at him. "Really. You seemed pretty scared there in the forest."

Kaiba made a movement like he was about to punch him in the face, but his eyes strayed down to the Puzzle and he abandoned it. Yami widened his smile, which only seemed to piss him off more. He enjoyed Kaiba's rage for another second before sighing and unfolding his arms.

"Look, Kaiba. This is ridiculous. We're in a situation where we could end up dead and we have to rely on each other to get out of it and we can't do that if we're at each other's throats all the time."

Kaiba continued to glare down at him. Yami stared back up at him without looking away.

"Well? Don't you have anything to say about that?"

Kaiba started to open his mouth when a beeping sound came from his computer. He turned and went to it without saying anything, sitting down and looking at the screen. He clicked his mouse a couple of times, then his eyes moved back and forth as if he was reading something.

"Roland says a man came into Kaiba Corp. this morning looking for me. The description sounds like Buck."

"He doesn't know where you are, does he?"

"Roland wouldn't have told him. There's another message from Mokuba."

He stopped to read it. Yami waited, though he wasn't expecting to be informed what this one was. However, he was wrong. Kaiba made a relieved sound.

"He took my advice and headed straight back to Oxford. They'll be in school tomorrow. Takanawa won't be able to touch him."

Yami nodded. He wasn't particularly close to Mokuba and he was mad at Kaiba, but for their sakes, he was glad Mokuba was going to be okay. He turned and headed into the living room, thinking that maybe telling him about the e-mails was Kaiba's way of agreeing to a truce. He hoped so. He didn't want to have to endure more of Kaiba's uncalled-for nastiness, though it was still better than being ignored.

He cursed softly when he looked outside. There was even more snow than there had been earlier. Part of the window was below the level of the snow. They wouldn't even be able to get outside of the cabin now. He heard Kaiba cuss behind him and he turned around to see that he was looking out of the window as well.

"How long do you think this is going to go on?"

Kaiba shrugged his shoulders. "How the hell--" He broke off and clenched his jaw before starting again. "I don't know."

Yami just stopped himself from smiling. It would only piss him off and undo his effort. Instead, he turned back to the window and peered out at the blank whiteness. The snow was still coming down. Soon the cabin was going to be buried up to the second floor.

******

Thursday morning had dawned more unrelenting whiteness. They had been stuck inside the cabin for three days and Yami was two days late to meet Yugi and Joey. He could only imagine what they were thinking and he prayed to the gods that Joey hadn't come back to Domino to look for him. If he stumbled into Kato or Takanawa...

Kaiba was in a right state as well. Kaiba Corp. was put on hold until he got back, he'd had no correspondence with Mokuba since the message on Monday, and was feeling the isolation just as much as Yami was. His efforts of being civil had been completely negated that morning when he'd blown up at Yami and yelled himself hoarse with every curse and insult he could think of. Yami wasn't even sure what the offense supposedly was, but he'd responded just as furiously.

They had been cooped up together for four days and could barely stand any more. They'd nearly come to physical blows, but Yami had turned around and stalked out of the living room before that had occured. Now he was upstairs in his chosen bedroom, looking out of the window and watching the snow continue to build up. It hadn't stopped at all and now the lower half of the cabin was indeed buried. The snow was almost level with the sill of the bedroom window.

It wasn't until nearly nightfall that Yami finally went downstairs, hunger driving him to risk a meeting with Kaiba to get some food. He was no where to be seen so Yami gladly went into the kitchen and made himself a grilled cheese sandwich and went into the living room.

He'd been mistaken, Kaiba was in there. He had been so slumped on the couch that Yami hadn't seen him through the doorway when he'd went down the hall. His shoulders were against the armrest, one leg stretched out on the cushions, the other hanging over the side of the couch. One hand was resting on his stomach, but the other held a wineglass half filled with deep red wine. The wine bottle sat on the coffee table in front of him. Kaiba's eyes were trained on the wall of white that had originally been the window, his expression detached.

"Where did you get that?" Yami asked in surprise, looking at the wine bottle.

"Liquor cabinet. I broke the lock on it." He spoke with perfect clarity and his eyes were focused which meant he'd only just done it.

Yami glanced across the room, seeing the squat wooden cabinet. One of the double doors was open, revealing a couple bottles more of wine, a bottle of scotch, one of rum, and one of vodka. Quite the selection.

Well, it certainly sounded like a good idea. Yami finished his sandwich and went back into the kitchen to get his own wineglass out of the cabinet above the sink. He had to stand on his tiptoes to reach it, glad that Kaiba wasn't in there to see that. Once he had it, he went back into the living room and picked up the wine bottle from the coffee table and poured himself a glass.

Kaiba gave him a look, but he didn't say anything, maybe because Yami gave him a glare of his own, daring him. He lifted his glass and took a deep drink, glad for the instant taste. He liked wine, but more than that, he was glad for the alcohol he was swallowing. He was becoming an alcoholic and he knew it. With everything that had happened to him, it was no surprise.

He didn't know what made him do it, but he smacked Kaiba's foot off the couch and sat down. Kaiba sat up a little, giving him a glare.

"Go sit somewhere else."

"No. I want to sit here."

Kaiba growled and downed his wine in one swallow. He leaned forward and grabbed the bottle again, refilling his glass. So it went for the rest of the evening. The first bottle was finished and Yami got the second, using the corkscrew he now saw was sitting in an eye-hook on the inside of the door to open it. He brought it back to the couch and filled his glass. Kaiba leaned over and grabbed it out of his hand, filling his glass before setting it a little heavily down on the coffee table.

Yami finally got tired of the wine, setting his half-filled glass on the coffee table and getting up again while Kaiba finished the second bottle. This time Yami chose the vodka, wanting something stronger. He picked up one of the scotch glasses that was sitting in the cabinet with the liquor and poured half a glass while returning to the couch. The alcohol in his system was starting to work on him and his hands weren't very steady. He set the bottle down with a thunk and settled back into the couch, nearly slopping the vodka over the rim. Kaiba was watching him, but he didn't say anything.

Yami took a sip of the vodka, glad for the much stronger burn in his mouth. The flat whiteness out of the window was becoming oppressive. No wonder Kaiba had started this.

Kaiba leaned over and picked up the vodka bottle, filling his wineglass to the brim and taking an impressive pull of it. Yami finished his own and reached over, pulling the bottle out of Kaiba's hand and simply taking a drink right from it.

They were getting incredibly drunk, but neither had the sense to stop.

tbc…


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter Thirty-Three:

Seto knew he should stop, that getting drunk off his ass wasn't a good idea, but that white wall that had been the window was really getting to him. Normally being snowed in didn't bother him, but he had nothing to distract himself with. There were no books, no TV, and his company was on hold so there was nothing to do.

Yami had taken a drink right out of the bottle, but Seto was too drunk to make a deal out of it and instead just yanked the bottle right out of his hand and took his own drink from it. It was amusing that Yami was no longer quick on the uptake and didn't let go in time, nearly falling over. He didn't know why he hadn't forced Yami out of the living room, especially after he'd had the gall to slap his foot off the couch, but he'd let him stay. Part of him deep down supposed that even having him for company was better than nothing but the building snow.

"How are we going to get out of here?" Yami demanded in a very slurred manner.

Seto knew that was a legitimate question, but he couldn't get his mind to work well enough. "Fuck if I know."

To his surprise, Yami started chuckling. It was the sort of giggling of the drunk, and Yami was attempting to straighten up on the couch without much success. He abandoned the attempt and snatched the bottle out of Seto's hand, taking another pull. It was almost half empty by now.

Yami leaned forward and set his now-unused scotch glass on the table before settling back, managing to pull off the move without upsetting either the glass or the bottle in his hand. He took another drink from it before Seto stole it back from him and took a drink himself. His head was definitely in a different place of his body now, which was good. Now if he could only get drunk enough to pass out and pass over the dragging, endless time.

Once Yami took the bottle from him again, he tried to pull off the same maneuver of putting his wineglass on the table as he had, but maybe his head-start on drinking was catching up with him. He ended up setting the glass at an angle so that when he let go of it, it felt over and rolled across the table to fall over the side, hitting the carpet with a dull thunk.

Yami started laughing, again with the aid of the alcohol he'd consumed, and didn't stop. Seto knew it wasn't funny, but he was laughing too. Yami was leaning over too far and Seto tried to push him up so he wouldn't fall over against him, when he saw the Puzzle and stopped laughing abruptly.

"Take that damn thing off," he growled, reaching for it to do that himself.

Yami seized the chain of the Puzzle in an attempt to stop him, setting the bottle on the coffee table, scowling. "Stop, Kaiba!"

They struggled, Seto trying to rip the offending thing over Yami's head and Yami trying to stop him doing it. Seto gave a vicious yank and Yami fell right over into his lap, letting go of the chain with one hand to shove against Seto's thigh as he tried to right himself. He looked up, glowering, his breath reeking of alcohol. Seto looked back down at him, their faces an inch apart.

He had no idea who started it first, but then they were kissing. Seto grabbed a handful of Yami's shirt and yanked him closer, attempting to push his tongue into his mouth. Yami kissed him back, growling and trying to resist being dominated, his arms coming up and winding around Seto's neck. Seto shoved him, knocking him over backwards onto the couch and surging foward on top of him. He pinned Yami down, mapping out his mouth thoroughly, ignoring the fact that he tasted like liquor, reaching down to begin tearing off his clothes.

There was no questioning what they were doing. Neither cared, neither had the good judgment to care anymore.

Yami's hands were all over him, trying to pull his sweater over his head. He lifted up enough to get it off before finally succeeding in taking Yami's Puzzle off before he could stop him. He threw it across the room; it hit the wall, one corner piece popping off before it hit the floor.

Yami snarled, coming up in a fury, but Seto merely grabbed him and kissed him again, pushing him down forcefully against the couch. Without that stupid thing, Yami was at his mercy. He undid the fastenings to his pants with a series of jerky movements, yanking his pants down his legs and tossing them to the floor. Yami's boxers were tenting noticeably, indicating his anger wasn't the strongest emotion he was feeling right at the moment.

Seto claimed his mouth again, not trying to stop him when he started working his own pants off. Seto unfastened Yami's collar and went to his neck, sucking hard on his skin. Yami groaned, trying to squirm out from under him, but Seto held him down. He added another mark to his collarbone before sitting up so he could get his own pants fully off. As soon as he was naked, he went for Yami's boxers, yanking them roughly off him before grabbing his arm and pulling him up off the couch.

Yami grabbed a handful of his hair with his free hand and kissed him, forcing his tongue into his mouth and Seto let him for a moment, then breaking the kiss and pulling Yami to his feet. He turned him around and shoved him face-first over the coffee table, holding him bent down. His eyes landed blurrily on the half-filled wineglass Yami had abandoned and which hadn't fallen over when he'd shoved him against the coffee table.

He dipped his fingers into it and brought his hand to Yami's backside, beginning to push his fingers into him, his other hand gripping a handful of the shirt Yami still had on. Yami grunted and shifted his legs, but didn't complain, his head lowering forward. Seto worked three fingers into him, scissoring them and stretching him. He bumped his prostate and Yami groaned.

He removed his fingers and picked up the wineglass, tipping the contents over his erection. Dropping the wineglass on the carpet, he grabbed Yami's hips and pushed into him. Yami reared up a little with a gasp, one hand coming back to reflexively grasp Seto's thigh, making him pause reluctantly. Only when Yami let go and relaxed did he begin to move, thrusting strongly into him. Pleasure immediately burned through his nerves, making him groan, gripping Yami more tightly.

Yami moaned beneath him, his hands splayed against the glass coffee table, their movements upsetting the bottle of vodka, which tipped over and rolled across the surface, spilling vodka as it went. Yami shifted again, bracing against Seto's thrusts, moaning softly. Seto bent down and nipped the back of his neck, changing his angle and hearing Yami cry out. Now that he had the right angle, he didn't have to worry about holding back.

The coffee table rattled as Seto increased his movements, Yami's cries getting louder and a little stressed. Seto let go of his hip with one hand and reached down beneath his body, taking hold of his erection and beginning to pump him. He moaned against Yami's shoulder, resting his cheek against his skin and closing his eyes, feeling Yami's muscles starting to contract. He opened his eyes, lifting up, seeing Yami's hands were now clenched against the fogged glass, his breathing coming in ragged pants.

Yami came with a hoarse yell, tightening on Seto, who thrust a few more times before he came himself, gritting his teeth with a groan. He relaxed, pulling out of him and sitting back down on the couch, breathing hard. Yami had fallen forward onto his knees, resting on his forearm on the coffee table, his other hand still in a fist and his head bowed as he caught his breath as well. He turned around slowly and sat down on the floor, leaning against the coffee table with his eyes closed.

They were silent for several minutes, Seto's head still buzzing with alcohol and his body with aftershocks. Yami opened his eyes and looked up at him, slowly getting up from the floor and sitting down on the couch, facing him with one leg tucked under him, putting his elbow against the headrest and putting his head in his hand.

"What did we just do?" he demanded in a voice that was more vague than concerned.

"I have no idea."

Yami snickered at that, his eyes closed. He opened them again half-way, pushing his bangs off his face and then looking down at himself. He started to lift his shirt over his head, for whatever reason, and had trouble with it, his condition throwing off his coordination. Seto reached over and grabbed it, yanking it off and tossing it to the floor. Yami tried to straighten his mussed hair, but Seto found he liked him like that.

He grabbed the back of his head and pulled him into another kiss.

******

Seto woke late the next morning, opening his eyes to the winter sunshine pouring in through the window. His head was pounding, but not as bad as he'd thought it would. Shifting beneath the sheets, he closed his eyes again and rubbed his forehead.

His hand stilled as the memories of last night came back to him. He hadn't drunk enough to not remember and he let his hand drop, keeping his eyes closed, hoping he was remembering wrongly.

Reluctantly, Seto opened his eyes again and turned his head, seeing that his memory was perfect despite the alcohol. Yami was sleeping next to him in the bed, on his side, facing him. After their activities in the living room, Seto had kissed him again, and they'd come upstairs. It hadn't been just the one time and they'd finally fallen asleep a couple of hours before dawn.

Seto put his hands over his face. Gods, what had he been thinking? Well, he hadn't been thinking, he'd been drinking, but he still couldn't believe he'd allowed this to happen.

Slowly he got out of bed, careful not to wake Yami. He really didn't need to deal with him right now and as soon as he'd gotten out of the bed, he went into the bathroom and took a shower. Standing beneath the spray, he tried to put his head together, ignoring his hang-over. What was he going to do now? Drunk or not, it wasn't enough to excuse the fact that he'd slept with Yami!

He finished his shower and got out, realizing reluctantly that he had to go back into the bedroom since he hadn't had the forethought to bring clothes into the bathroom. To his immense relief, Yami was still sleeping, so he managed to grab some fresh pajamas and his robe and get out again without waking him.

Downstairs, he made himself some coffee, hoping it would help with the headache. He still had no idea what he to do about Yami.

Once the coffee was finished, he took a mug of it into the living room, which still bore the marks of what they'd done the night before. Groaning, he cleaned up, wanting to erase all the evidence of what had happened. Finished, he settled down in the armchair, sipping his coffee and massaging his forehead.

He closed his eyes when he heard the shower upstairs; Yami was awake. Was it possible that he wouldn't remember? Maybe he'd drunk too much.

He looked up when Yami came downstairs, appearing in the archway between the living room and the hall. He was wearing a red T-shirt and a pair of baggy black sweatpants, looking unusually scruffy. Seto's hope that he didn't remember was dashed when Yami looked at him and made an embarrassed movement, turning stiffly and heading into the kitchen.

Seto let his head thunk back against the backrest of the chair. He didn't need this.

Unwillingly, he got up and went into the kitchen. Yami was standing with his back to him at the counter, a coffee cup in front of him. His head lowered and his shoulders tensed, implying he'd heard Seto come in. Seto stood awkwardly in the middle of the floor, not sure what to say. He should just make a disparaging comment, piss Yami off, and go back to what it had been. That would be best.

Yami spoke before he could, turning around to face him, gripping the edge of the counter behind him.

"Look, Kaiba...um...I don't know exactly what happened between us last night, but I think we should just consider it an unplanned liaison and forget about it."

Seto gave a sigh of relief. "Sounds good to me."

tbc…


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter Thirty-Four:

The morning was very uncomfortable. Neither Yami nor Kaiba could talk to each other. They weren't even fighting, just awkwardly attempting to avoid each other as they went about the day. Yami could barely bring himself to look at him. Despite the hangover he was suffering, he remembered everything that had happened the night before and he wished he didn't.

Yami groaned and let his head thunk forward onto the dining room table. Why couldn't he get that out of his head? Never mind the fact that his body was still aching from last night.

He would just have to put this behind him. They'd both been drunk and depressed, so neither was to blame. There was no reason to dwell on it. They would get out of here soon and Yami would go to Chicago. If he was lucky, he wouldn't even see Kaiba afterwards. But that brought something to the forethought of his mind and he got up to find him.

"Um, Kaiba?"

He saw Kaiba's head jerk forward, obviously unhappy to hear his voice. Yami expected him to not answer, but he did.

"What, Yami?"

"I thought Roland was supposed to contact you on Wednesday. It's Friday."

"I know that. I got an e-mail from him. He was going to come pick us up, but the snow was too thick and then the wind was too heavy yesterday. He'll try this afternoon."

Yami nodded, relieved. This was about to be over with, finally. Now if only Fate had been kind enough that Roland would have made it yesterday afternoon, before they'd gotten into the liquor.

Kaiba's computer, which had been constantly on since they'd become trapped on Monday, beeped and he got to his feet to go over to it. He sat down and tapped a few keys, his eyes running back and forth across the screen. Yami waited wondering if Kaiba would tell him what he was reading, curious and hoping nothing new had happened to keep them here even longer. Who knew what they'd do then?

Kaiba did tell him what it said. However, what he had to say was nothing what Yami was expecting.

"Kato is dead."

Yami lifted his head, looking at him quickly. "What?"

"Yeah..."

Yami walked around and looked over his shoulder at the computer screen. There was a short message signed from Roland stating that Kato was indeed dead. His penthouse apartment had been bombed late last night and four bodies had been recovered from the wreckage, tentatively identified as Jinji Kato, his wife, and children.

"The children, too?" Yami said in dismay.

"They're mafia members, Yami. Who gets in their way doesn't matter. What I'm surprised about is the fact that Takanawa got him first. Kato has better resources."

"So Takanawa says. I would expect him to lie."

Kaiba sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. "It's possible that he's been lying to me the whole time."

"But if Gozaburo dying didn't ruin his business, why would he target you?"

"He didn't have to be ruined just to want revenge. These kinds of guys always want revenge for the slightest offense. I'll bet Takanawa would knife the guy that added salt to his order if he didn't want it. And perhaps he was ruined and now has his resources back. He would still want revenge. They never let anything go."

"So we're back at square one? Kato is dead and Takanawa is still alive."

"Yes, but we know where he lives. Once Roland gets here, we'll fly to Takanawa's estate and you can do your magick thing and it'll all be over."

Kaiba glanced up at him over his shoulder. They were far too close and Yami quickly moved away from the chair while Kaiba looked back at the computer, both uncomfortable.

"Anyway," Kaiba went on. "Do that, and I'll put you on a flight to Chicago right away."

Yami only nodded, walking away to sit down in one of the two armchairs. Neither had sat on the couch since the night before, acting like it was cursed, though the wine stain on the carpet in front of it was the only sign left to remind them of what they'd done.

Part of him wanted to protest that he was going to go straight to Chicago as soon as they were rescued, but Kaiba had already kidnapped him once and since it was his ride coming to get them, he'd probably do it again to get what he wanted. And Yami was fed up with Takanawa. Their lives were in shreds all thanks to him. None of this would have happened, not the thieving, the isolation, the sex.

Yes, he'd do his magick thing and it would be over.

Speaking of magick, he'd completely forgot about his Puzzle all this time. Kaiba had taken it off the previous night and thrown it across the room. He could now see it sitting forlornly on the floor by the wall next to the window and with a growl he got up to retrieve it.

One of the two top corner pieces was missing. Irritated, Yami tried to find where it had gone, searching along the wall by the window and under the closest of the armchairs, cursing to himself in his native tongue. What had happened to it?

"Here."

To his surprise, Kaiba's hand appeared over his shoulder where he was kneeling by the other armchair, holding the Puzzle piece between his fingers. Yami looked up at him before taking it.

"Thank you."

Kaiba grunted and walked away. Yami snapped the piece back into place, hooking the chain around his neck and letting the Puzzle hang against his stomach. He knew how much Kaiba hated him wearing it, which was part of the reason he immediately put it back on. He'd found out how much easier it was to handle being angry at each other.

They still had to suffer through the rest of the day, but towards late afternoon, the dull whump-whump of helicopter blades reached their ears. Yami hurried up the stairs, opening the bedroom window and leaning out to peer up at the sky. Sure enough, the KC helicopter was making it's way towards them across the sky.

"Hurry up and get your stuff together," Kaiba said and Yami looked back to see him in the doorway, holding his suitcase in his hand. "We're not going to wait on you."

Yami knew that was a lie; he needed him to take out Takanawa.

Nevertheless, he made quick work of stuffing all of his possessions back into his bag. He'd just take what he had with him to Chicago.

Once he was packed, he turned to Kaiba, hearing the helicopter hovering outside. "How is it going to land? The snow is still almost up to the window."

"It's not going to. They're going to roll down the rope ladder and we'll have to grab it from the window and climb up. Scared?"

"You wish." Yami grinned at him before turning back to the window.

The rope ladder was now visible, hanging about a foot from the window, the helicopter still a good ten feet above the roof of the cabin. Yami sat on the sill, ducked his head under the raised window bottom so that he was leaning outside, and reached for the ladder, grabbing the second-from-bottom rung tightly in his hand. He wrapped the strap of his suitcase around his other wrist and grabbed the rung with that hand too, swinging his legs out of the window. Hanging from the rope ladder with his feet in the snow, he pulled himself up until he could hook one of his feet in the bottom-most rung and climb up.

Kaiba followed him and they climbed into the helicopter, greeted by Roland, who looked thoroughly relieved.

"Mr. Kaiba, I'm sorry I wasn't able to get to you until now," he said. "The weather has been terrible, especially here. All the snow!"

He looked out of the open door for a second before sliding it closed and sat down on the seat. If he was surprised that he was in the middle between Kaiba and Yami, he didn't show it. Yami was glad Kaiba had arranged them this way. He could look out the window instead of at him.

"Is Kato really dead?" Kaiba asked, getting Yami's attention, though he continued to look out of the window.

"It appears so, sir. You asked for any information on him. His hotel was bombed about two-thirty last night and they had to remove eight bodies from the rubble. The police are pretty sure Kato and his wife and children were part of the eight."

Eight people. At least two who were assuredly innocent, the little twin girls. Takanawa had to be stopped, and not just because of what he'd done to them. If he was willing to kill children just to kill a single rival, what else was he capable of? What else had he already done? Yami would relish tearing his mind apart with a Penalty Game.

"Any report on Hiroshi Takanawa?"

"No, sir. Except for the visitor we had earlier, there has been nothing out of the ordinary."

Silence followed. Yami continued to look out the window, wanting the ride to be over with. Three days past when he should have been in Chicago, three days of not knowing what had happened to Yugi. He had tried to connect with him mentally twice, but to no avail. He could still feel his hikari, so he knew he wasn't dead, but nothing else came through. He realized belatedly that they'd never tried telepathy from such a great distance and apparently their link wasn't strong enough. Yugi no longer had the Puzzle with him and he'd never been as strong in magick as Yami was. So he had no way on knowing how the surgery had gone, or even if his friends were still in Chicago. He hoped Joey hadn't come back to look for him, hoped that he'd realize the more important place to be was with Yugi.

An idea occurred to him suddenly and he turned to Kaiba.

"Give me your phone," he said, holding on his hand. Kaiba and Roland both stared at him. "Please," he added, shaking his hand impatiently.

Kaiba frowned, but it was Roland, looking bemused, who pulled a cell phone out of his jacket pocket and held it out. Yami took it and flipped it open, trying to remember the number to the Institute in Chicago. He finally dialed Dr. Ashford's clinic and got the number from the secretary and then called the Institute.

"I need information on Yugi Moto."

"I'm sorry, sir, information on patients is confidential."

"I'm family. His brother, Yami. I was supposed to be there on Tuesday, but something came up. He was supposed to have gone through surgery Monday and I haven't been able to get in touch with him. Please, can't you tell me anything?"

To his immense frustration, she refused. He couldn't prove he was Yugi's brother because he wasn't there to present his ID. He finally snapped the phone shut with a sigh. Still looking out the window, he said, "Are we going straight to Takanawa's?"

"Yes."

Yami gave Roland back his phone. There was nothing left to do but wait it out. He stared out the window until Honshu Island began to slide beneath the helicopter a mile or so below them. He heard Kaiba tell Roland to make plans for picking up the Blue Eyes White Jet whenever it was possible. Afterwards silence fell again.

At last they were in Osaka. Kaiba had the pilot drop the helicopter at a bank's helipad and order a car service to pick them up. Roland stayed at the bank with the helicopter, and just Yami and Kaiba got into the car. Kaiba gave the driver Takanawa's address and they were off. Kaiba had the driver stop at the end of the street and paid him, he and Yami getting out.

Takanawa's house was at the end of the private street, the property making a T shape, the house the only structure. There was a line of trees along the intersecting public road, hiding the house from view, but the rest of the property was barren of vegetation but for one tree in the backyard of the house. Compared to Kaiba's residence, Takanawa's was miserably small, but it was still a large house set on its own acre or so.

"Well, we're not going to be able to sneak up," Kaiba said, eyeing the house from their corner.

Yami nodded, also looking at the house. It was snowing still, but far more lightly than it had been at the cabin. Takanawa would be able to see anyone coming up the road, and the house had only one tree near it, in the backyard on the left-side corner. There was no covering to provide shelter for sneaking around to the back.

"Do you have a plan?" he asked.

"I still have this damn thing," Kaiba said, reaching into his jacket pocket. He pulled out the brooch. "I never took it out of my pocket from when you gave it to me. Takanawa still wants it back."

Yami looked at him. "It's easier to take it from a dead man than a live one."

"True. But he doesn't know I have it." Kaiba stuck it back into his jacket. "And it's not as easy to ask questions of a dead man as it is a live one."

Yami smiled and raised his Puzzle. "It's up to you to get us in there without being shot."

Kaiba snorted, then frowned as his cell phone started to ring. Yami watched as he pulled it out of his coat and flipped it open. He wasn't surprised that it was Takanawa, and he stood and listened to Kaiba's side of the conversation, though he turned to look at the house again, studying it closely. He couldn't discern any movement in any of the windows, but that didn't mean anything.

After a couple of minutes, Kaiba snapped his phone shut. "He knows we're standing out here. He said to come to the house and to bring the brooch. How fast are you with your Mind Crush?"

"Not as fast as a bullet, but I'm sure Takanawa is going to want to go through his 'I've-bested-you-here's-how-I'm-going-to-kill-you speech. All bad guys do. It gets old."

Kaiba gave a reluctant smile and started towards the house. Yami went with him, watching the two-story house get closer. It was a dark-brick affair with white trimming and green shutters. The silence and stillness was unsettling, but neither paused. The front gate was open and they went right up the winding driveway to the front walk and up to the door. They were unmolested the whole way, and Yami was getting suspicious. He kept his Puzzle in his left hand, his right hand free to cast his Mind Crush.

Kaiba reached out and grabbed the handle of the front door, which turned easily in his hand. He yanked it open without pause, showing just how foolishly brave he really was, and walked into the house like he owned it. Yami followed him, looking around carefully for the slightest movement.

"Where the hell are you, you bastard?" Kaiba demanded loudly, walking into the middle of the living room.

tbc…


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter Thirty-Five:

Seto stepped right into the middle of the living room of Takanawa's house, knowing it was stupid to be so bold, but he wasn't going to act timid. Yami followed along with him, as brave as he was, ready to do his magick at a second's notice.

The house was silent. There was no one in the living room, no one on the staircase leading up to the second floor. Seto narrowed his eyes, demanding that Takanawa show himself again, but there was still no answer.

"There is something wrong here," Yami said in a quiet voice, walking forward past Seto to peer through the double doors into what Seto could see was the dining room. "No one is in this house."

"How do you know?"

"I don't sense any presence." Yami looked over his shoulder at him as if daring him to say something negative. "There is no one in this house."

Seto frowned and turned back towards the door. "Fine. If he wants to continue screwing with me, we'll just keep trying to find him."

"No. I'm already three days late to Chicago."

Seto scowled, about to argue, but decided against it, knowing that Yami wouldn't be convinced to help him again. He started across the living room to leave the house, wondering why Takanawa had told him to come there to begin with, then decided to go upstairs.

"Just give me another minute. There might be something we can use."

Yami sighed, but followed after him up the stairs. Seto looked forward closely, ready for a trick or a trap, but there was nothing in sight. He was sure Yami was right, there was no one in the house.

The upstairs consisted of a long, wide hallway with a dozen doorways opening up from it. A few of the doors were already opening, showing several bedrooms, bathrooms, and what looked like an exercise room. He passed over those, looking for Takanawa's personal bedroom. He found it at the end of the house, facing the backyard. One of the two windows was open, showing a view of a large backyard, showing the only tree, from which hung a tire swing. He remembered, Takanawa had a young boy by a woman young enough to be his granddaughter. Sick.

The bedroom was a large one, done in hard wood and white. The canopied, double bed took up most of the room, two separate dressers on opposite walls on either side of the bed, and a decorative loveseat completing the room.

"What would you find in here?" Yami asked.

Seto looked around, considering. He walked forward and yanked open one of the dresser's top drawer. It contained a little bit of women's underwear and he shut it again, crossing to the other one and opening the second drawer. There were some sweatsuits, and some jeans, but nothing that looked worth taking.

"Are you still thieving?" Yami demanded.

Seto ignored him and went across the room, opening the closet. It was a large, walk-in type, and mostly empty. He sighed and dropped his arms. "He's gone. You were right, there is no one in this house. He took his family and left."

"Then why would he ask us to come here?"

"I don't know. Maybe just to mess with us."

Seto left the room and headed back down the hall, opening another one of the doors. Here it was, Takanawa's home office. It was the largest room he'd seen. The walls, floor, and furniture all bare hardwood, except for a plush leather chair behind the desk. Behind the desk was a life-sized portrait of Takanawa, attempting to look grand and intimidating. Seto walked across the room and climbed up on the chair, then cheerfully put his fist through the canvas right over Takanawa's painted face.

"Nice," Yami said from the doorway. "Are you going to amuse yourself tearing his house apart or can we get going?"

Seto jumped lightly to the floor and turned to the desk, ignoring Yami's question and beginning to open the drawers. He wasn't surprised to see that there was nothing in them. Takanawa had taken all of his folders, and he didn't bother checking the metal filing cabinet to the right of the room. He sighed and went around the desk to join Yami.

"I guess we can--"

"What's that beeping?"

Seto went silent, frowning. Yami was right, there was something beeping, and it sounded like it was coming from the closet he'd opened. Yami turned around and went back into the bedroom, wandering over to the closet. Seto followed him, watching him let go of the Puzzle with his left hand for the first time since they'd entered the house and go inside the closet, looking around.

"I think it's coming from up there," he said, pointing towards the top shelf, which was even above Seto's head. It looked empty from this angle.

"Well?" Seto said, amused by the fact that the shelf that was two inches above his head was almost a foot over Yami's. "Jump up and look."

Yami gave him a glare. And suddenly something odd happened. Time seemed to stop as Seto realized he knew something was very, very wrong.

The beeping was accelerating.

He lunged forward and grabbed Yami's wrist, yanking him out of the closet, slamming the door shut with his other hand. Yami yelped, startled, but Seto didn't pause, pulling him roughly across the room, shoving him face-first down onto the carpet on the other side of the bed. He yanked the mattress half-off the bed and over Yami, immediately dropping down as well and beneath the mattress.

Not a second too soon. A terrific boom rocked them as the bomb that had been sitting on the top shelf exploded. The sounds of wood snapping, plaster cracking, and a thunderous whoosh nearly deafened Seto. Another series of cracks and snaps came after the initial ones, but they were far quieter.

Seto slowly lifted his head, lifting the mattress with a shove. A groan reached his ears and he looked down, realizing he was squashing Yami. He got up, wincing, his ears ringing and several scratches on his right arm stinging. He looked down at it, seeing that his shirt was torn in several places and his arm was bleeding. The floor below them had crumpled and buckled from the blast and they were actually half-way to the first floor, leaning at a drunken angle against the layers of floor still where they should be.

Pushing the mattress completely off, Seto carefully got to his knees, looking at the damage that had once been the bedroom. The bed had collapsed on their left, but thankfully not far enough to strike them. The canopy leaned over them, splintered and tilted against the wall on their right.

He turned his head to look across the room over the collapsed bed.

The closet was gone. In it's place was a torn, gaping hole filled with shattered wood and the shredded remains of the few clothes that had been in there. The floor in front of the closet was cracked and splintered, the dresser on that side of the room little more than a pile of broken wood and scattered clothes. Holes dotted the ceiling and the walls, plaster covering the floor like powdered sugar.

The fabric of his shirt sleeve was beginning to stick to his right arm. The four or five scratches created by his arm scraping against the layers of floor they'd nearly fallen through were bleeding pretty thoroughly.

Yami stirred and Seto glanced down at him, stepping back gingerly from the near-hole onto a more stable part of the floor. Yami was slowly getting up and Seto reached down, grabbing his arm and pulling him up. Yami gasped and jerked his arm out of his grip, pressing his hand against his side.

"What happened?" he demanded weakly.

"A bomb," Seto said. "Takanawa was trying to kill us. Come on, this house isn't stable anymore."

The floor groaned as Seto turned to walk towards the door, and he expected it to fall through at any moment. He turned to look at Yami, seeing that he was still standing where he was, eyes closed in pain, his hand still pressed against his side.

"Hurry up or you'll fall through."

Yami opened his eyes and started towards him, walking awkwardly as he favored his side, limping. He gestured his left hand towards Seto.

"Your arm is bleeding."

"I know. Hurry up before the house falls in on us."

He went out into the hall, trying to ignore the sticky blood dripping down his fingers. Another crash reached his ears and he turned around to watch the bed continue the path it had started, the floor beneath it giving in and the bed was suddenly on the ground floor, now in the kitchen.

Together he and Yami went down the hallway to the stairs, making their way down carefully, though Seto was pretty certain the damage was fairly localized to the east wing of the house. Yami was still having trouble walking, though he didn't say what was wrong with him. Seto pulled his phone out of his pocket as they reached the ground floor and demanded that Roland come to get them immediately.

It was only a couple minutes later that the same car that had dropped them off had come screeching down the private road, up the driveway. Seto and Yami staggered out of the front door and into the car, which backed out and turned around, starting back down the road. It turned right onto the public road and headed into Osaka.

"We need a hospital," Seto told the driver, slowly pulling back the torn remains of his sleeve to inspect his arm. He hissed at the stings as the wet material was tugged from his skin, muttering a curse.

Six scratches ran the length of his forearm, ranging in length from two inches to ten. They were bloody, but not life-threatening. It looked like some monstrous cat had taken a swipe at him and he was weirdly reminded of the furniture in the room Yami had chosen at the cabin.

That was a train of thought he didn't need to persue and he pushed it from his mind, but looked at Yami. He was leaning sideways on the seat, eyes closed again, still holding his ribs.

"Are you bleeding or do you have broken bones?"

"Maybe both," Yami said. He raised his hand, showing his palm, which was covered with blood. "There's a piece of wood in my side."

Seto raised his eyebrows, startled, leaning over to look. Sure enough, Yami was pierced with a chunk of wood that looked like it might have come from the bed. A widening circle of blood made his top stick to his side, the wood piece about two inches thick and Seto could only guess how long, since it was jammed into Yami's side.

Yami gave him a weak smile and leaned slowly back against the seat. Seto knew he was staring at him like he was crazy, but he couldn't help it.

"You're stabbed by a chunk of mahogany and you don't utter a sound? What are you, a masochist?"

Yami gave a strangled chuckle, but otherwise didn't respond. Seto realized he'd hardly ever made a noise when he'd gotten hurt. He'd sliced his hand punching the glass in the galleria and had seemed more interested than distressed. When he'd been punched in the face by the drunken asshole the first time Seto had seen him at the Fire Room club, he hadn't even touched his bloody nose, like he hadn't even noticed it was supposed to hurt.

Maybe he was a masochist. It wasn't something Seto was going to consider deeply.

"You're going to have to stay at the hospital."

Yami's eyes opened. "No. I'm not putting off going to Chicago anymore."

"You've got a fucking piece of wood sticking out of your ribs and you're still whining about not being over there?"

"My Aibou just went through major, possibly life-threatening, surgery and I can't get in contact with him. There's a nut who would gladly kill my friends just to do it and Joey might have come back to find me, and so might have run into him. Don't you get that?"

Seto shut his mouth. He was just going to get his head bitten off so he'd much rather spend the rest of the ride in silence. Yami didn't go after him again, but just closed his eyes again.

The car made it to Osaka's main hospital and they were admitted. Seto got his arm cleaned of splinters and sewn up, frowning at the half-sleeve of black surgical stitches he now had.

"You'll need to have the stitches removed in a couple of weeks," the nurse told him after the doctor finished up and went to another patient.

"How's Yami?"

"That the man you came in with? Uh, I'll check. Here, sign this release form, I'll be right back."

He signed the form and waited the couple of minutes it took the nurse to come back. She took the clipboard from him, checked the signature, then filled him in.

"Your friend is going to be fine. He's recovering from the surgery he needed to have the piece of wood removed. He lost a small amount of blood and he needed seven stitches, but there was no long-term damage done. The wood only went in two inches, didn't even clear layer of fat that's under the skin." She looked at him. "How did this happen again?"

"Bad construction of a deck."

He'd come up with that in a second after the admitting nurse had asked him the first time and was rather proud of that. It wasn't easy to come up with a convincing-sounding lie on the spot, and this one sounded legit. The nurse nodded again and then smiled at him.

"You're free to go."

"What about Yami?" Of course, he could just walk out and leave him here. Yami could find his own way to Osaka's airport.

"He's still under the effects of the anesthesia. He won't be ready to go anywhere for a couple of hours. And he'll need to take it easy for at least a couple of days, to make sure he doesn't open his stitches."

She left the room. There was still two hours before Yami would be able to leave the hospital?

Seto had no idea what made him, but he stayed.

tbc…


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter Thirty-Six:

Yami woke drowsily to find himself lying in an unfamiliar bed in a room that was a sterile white. A woman in a white uniform was leaning over him and she smiled, patting his arm.

"Welcome back, Mr. Higarashi. How do you feel? Any nausea, dizziness, headache?"

"No." Yami remembered suddenly what had happened, the explosion, the injury, going to the hospital. Kaiba must have listed them under false names, for whatever his reasons were.

"Good. Okay, I'm going to check your vitals and your reflexes and we'll see if we can't get you discharged. You remember you're at the hospital, right?"

"In Osaka, I know."

"Good, no impairment of memory. Your friend didn't mention any head trauma, but one should always check. Okay, please follow my finger with your eyes. Good, now the light. Okay, that seems good."

The doctor continued a few more tests before pronouncing him fit to leave, though she warned him about straining himself until the wood had had a chance to heal, to watch out for any possible signs of infection and to change his dressings daily. She gave him a wound-care kit and a release form to sign and let him go.

He was putting his jacket on carefully when a light knock on the doorframe made him look up. He was shocked to see Kaiba standing there, looking in at him.

"You're still here?"

Kaiba's eyes narrowed. "I told you I'd put you on a plane, didn't I? Now hurry up and let's go, I don't know why you're always so damn slow."

He turned and walked away. Mystified, Yami went after him. Kaiba had said he'd put him on a plane to Chicago, but since the incident at the house and the fact that Yami had been forced to accept surgurical removal of the piece of wood, he hadn't thought he'd stick around.

Yami followed Kaiba out to where the car they'd arrived in was waiting for them. He climbed into the backseat with Kaiba, who now seemed to be pretending he didn't exist, and the car took off. Yami looked down at the bloodstain he hadn't realized he'd left on the seat. He glanced at Kaiba, who was looking out the window, and noticed the half-dozen lines of black.

"You received a lot of stitches."

Kaiba glanced down at his arm himself. "Twenty-six."

"How did you know it was a bomb?"

"Everyone but millenia-old Pharaohs know what ticking bombs sound like. They're always in the movies."

Yami blinked, but accepted that.

"Besides, Takanawa blew up Kato's hotel, so he knows how to use them. I just didn't expect him to blow up his own house. He wants to get us bad."

"He must consider you a threat, then."

"He does now."

"Where do you think he's gone?"

"I don't know."

But from the pensive look on Kaiba's face, Yami thought he knew where Kaiba feared Takanawa had gone.

"Have you managed to get in touch with Mokuba?"

Kaiba gave him a dirty look as if he was angry Yami had voiced his fears. Maybe he was, Kaiba seemed to prefer not to acknowledge anything that made him upset.

"Yes. He and Marianne are still in Oxford. Their first week at the University began on Monday. Once I get you a ticket to Chicago, I'm flying out there."

"Are you going to explain everything to them?"

"I don't see how that's any of your business."

Yami shrugged, which pulled at the stitches in his side. He didn't flinch, and remembered Kaiba's taunt. He wasn't a masochist, the pain didn't excite him. It didn't do anything for him. He felt it, but, though he knew it should, it didn't bother him. The numbness troubled him, but he wasn't going to let it upset him. He had more important things to worry about.

"Thank you, Kaiba."

The brunette looked up, eyes narrowing. "Why?"

"You could have left already."

"Don't get mushy. I told you I'd put you on a plane if you came to Takanawa's house and you did and I am."

Yami could see the warning signs of Kaiba trying to keep his temper under control and he decided not to push it. The ride continued on in silence and a hour later they were at Osaka's main airport. Kaiba paid for a ticket to Chicago and shoved it into Yami's chest, holding his own to Oxford.

"You're at Gate 12," he said shortly before turning on his heel and marching off towards his own gate.

Yami looked after him for a second before picking up his suitcase in his right hand and turning to head off towards Gate 12.

At long last he was in the air and heading towards Chicago. He pushed thoughts of Kaiba, Takanawa, and all the trouble they'd been through and looked forward towards Yugi, Joey, and whatever news awaited him.

******

Yami stepped into room 619 at the Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch at Columbus Hospital in Chicago, Illinois, ignoring the irony that the number was the same as Sentoryou's hotel room.

Joey jumped up from where he'd been sitting in an overstuffed leather chair, flipping in an anxious manner through a magazine, and lifted him right off his feet in a hug. Yami gritted his teeth against voicing the pain that slammed up his side from the puncture wound in his ribs; if he could get away with it, he'd never let Yugi or Joey know about that. They weren't supposed to be worrying about him. Though part of him was glad the pain was incredible. Maybe he wasn't numb after all.

"Yami!" Joey exclaimed. He set him down on his feet, then cupped his face in his hands, staring at him like he'd expected to never see him again. "What the hell happened? Where have you been, we've been going crazy! I was just going to go back to Japan tomorrow to see...we've been calling...what the hell happened?"

"I'll explain later, but I'm fine." Yami looked in dismay at the empty bed. "Where's Aibou?"

"Doc's checking the stitches, but in a different room. Some...Don't ask me to remember the name, too many words. They're X-raying his back and testing his reflexes. Are you sure nothing's wrong?"

"With me, no. Don't worry about me. Tell me about Aibou."

He'd tried their link again as soon as he'd gotten into Chicago and though he sensed he'd been close enough for conversation, Yugi had not responded. He'd told himself not to panic, because there could be any number of reasons he hadn't. He could have been distracted by anything, but now that Yami was here at the hospital, he wasn't going to be put off knowing a second longer.

"Okay, sit down. Anyway, we got here on Saturday, like you know. Got all set up here at the hospital and me at the Belair hotel down the street. Yugi went in for surgery on Monday at nine, just like he was supposed to. Took about seven hours. I about tore the wallpaper off the walls. He came out of it okay, went into recovery, where he stayed for the next night and day. They moved him in here on the sixth. There's not much else to tell, yet, really. He's healing good, no complications, but they won't know if they chip-thing'll take for another couple of days. Doc doesn't want Yugi stressing himself until his head heals, you know? He won't be able to try until at least a couple of weeks. Pissed him off, actually."

Yami smiled, relieved. "Good. I was worried."

"Yeah? So what happened to you?"

Yami sighed and rubbed his head. There was no help for it and he gave Joey a very truncated version of the last three-and-a-half months, omitting the car chase, Sentoryou, the bomb, and especially what had happened at the cabin. Joey's eyes got progressively wider and his knuckles progressively whiter as he gripped the armrests of his chair. Finally he exploded, leaping to his feet.

"What?! That bastard had you stealing stuff for--"

"Joey, I don't think this is something you want to be screaming down the halls, not unless you want me to get arrested."

Joey made a hissing sound through his teeth and walked over to shut the hospital door, continuing in a quieter, but no less calm voice.

"He had you stealing stuff for some mafia dick? Our apartment got trashed and you've spent the last week at a cabin on an island, hiding out so they wouldn't kill you? Did I get that right?"

"Enough, yes."

Joey stared at him in open-mouthed amazement. "Why did you do it?"

"Kaiba needed the help. He couldn't do it alone."

"Well, you should have told him to try. This is unbelievable. Why didn't you tell me?"

"For the same reason you didn't tell me everything that was happening to you. We needed the money, but I didn't want you to worry. Kaiba needed the help, but he didn't want anyone to know about it. But it's over, Joey."

"You said he's still out there."

"Yes, but we're in America, not Japan."

"So, what, you want to stay here, even after Yug' gets better?"

"We have nothing tying us to Japan. Let's talk about it later."

"Damn it, Yami--"

But Yami was saved by the door opening. Yugi wheeled in, at first looking confused, but then lighting up as he saw Yami. Yami got to his feet and crossed the room swiftly to hug him, though he did it carefully. Up close, he could see a line of stitches in Yugi's head, which crossed a spot where they'd shaven Yugi's head for the surgery. However, Yugi's hair was so thick, that standing normally a person wouldn't be able to notice anything.

"Yami! Oh, I'm so glad you're here! What happened?"

Yami glanced over his shoulder at Joey, who was looking back at him with narrowed eyes and a clenched jaw. Yugi noticed and looked between them with a furrowed brow.

"What happened?" he asked again.

Yami sighed and went through his story again. "But don't worry about it, Yugi. Concentrate on your own--"

"Don't worry about it? But Yami...oh, my gods...are you sure you're okay?"

"Everyone is fine. Please, Yugi, don't stress yourself about it."

Yugi frowned and fidgeted in his wheelchair. "But--"

"No one is hurt and Takanawa is gone."

"Yeah, but--"

"Just 'cause he's gone doesn't mean it's over," Joey said angrily.

"He doesn't even know about me." Yami didn't know if that was true or not, doubted that it was true, but he said it anyway, to calm them down. "He's only after Kaiba and Kaiba is in England now with his brother. He won't be trouble anymore."

tbc…


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter Thirty-Seven:

Seto stepped out of the hired car and looked up at the house in front of him. It was a brick, Colonial-style three-story with a white four-column facade front. The front yard and border of the house was covered in flowers, mostly roses of different shades, and Seto suspected that was Marianne's handiwork.

"Big Brother!"

Mokuba was standing on the porch, waving to him. Seto climbed the front steps and joined him on the porch, ignoring the driver, who had pulled his bag out of the trunk and was following him. Mokuba grinned at him; he had no idea the reason of the visit. Seto had lied and told him he was just making up for missing him in Domino the previous week.

"Hello, Mokuba."

"How are things going?"

"They're fine."

"Um, okay. Well, come on in, I'll show you the house. It's too big, I feel lost in it. I forgot that's how I used to feel when we first moved into the Kaiba mansion."

"Where's Marianne?"

The driver handed off the suitcase to the butler, who turned around and headed upstairs, apparently aware of where he was supposed to put it. Mokuba led Seto towards the living room, which looked more welcoming than the entrance hall. Mokuba settled down on the plush white leather coach and Seto sat across from him in a matching armchair. A big-screen TV was showing an English-rugby game, but Mokuba picked up the remote and shut it off.

"Marianne's fine. Her mother took her shopping. To celebrate."

"Celebrate what?"

Mokuba leaned forward, his grey eyes shining. "She's pregnant!"

Seto blinked, startled. Though he was plenty smart and worldly enough to know what transpired during a two-month-long honeymoon, he hadn't expected this to come up this fast. Somehow he'd have thought they would have waited until they were farther along in their marriage.

"That's great."

"I know, isn't it?! She just found out yesterday, when she went in for a check-up. She's only about nine weeks along, but--"

"Nine weeks?"

Mokuba made a guilty face. "I know, I know. We did the math, too. I got her pregnant before the wedding."

Seto shrugged his shoulders. "You won't hear any recriminations from me. Do you know the gender?"

"No, not yet. The doctor says you won't be able to tell for sure until she's three months along. Right now, Marianne's only buying maternity clothes. We'll go out to buy baby furniture next week sometime."

"A baby, huh."

Mokuba nodded, now looking a tad anxious. "I know! Oh, gods, Seto, I'm already nervous and there's still over thirty weeks left!"

"You'll be fine."

"I hope so. Marianne wants to talk about names and we don't even know what it is yet."

"Then just think of a name for each gender and you'll be set."

Mokuba laughed, shaking his head. "That's you, always prepared for everything. But it's like there's no real preparing for a baby. I mean, when I think about all you've got to do for one--"

"Mokuba, at nine weeks the baby is a peanut. Relax or you'll have a coronary before it even gets here."

Mokuba let out a breath. "I'm just so excited! I think we should have waited a little, but now that's she's pregnant, I just want the baby to get here. It would be great if it was a boy. I'll teach him sports and how to drive a car and he can be a partner in Kaiba Corp."

"He's a peanut, Mokuba," Seto stressed. "Is the mother like this?"

"I'm worse!"

Marianne walked into the living room followed by her mother. She sat down on the couch, took both of Mokuba's hands and kissed him while Mrs. Coltrane sat down primly in the other armchair.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Kaiba."

"Mrs. Coltrane."

"If you think Mokuba is excited, you should get out now while you have the chance," Marianne said, turning to Seto. "I'm already designing the baby's room upstairs. Next door to ours, none of that nanny-raising-the-baby stuff. I'm going to be a hands-on mother, like my mum."

Mrs. Coltrane smiled a little. "Dear, you really should slow down a little, until you know whether it's a boy or a girl. When we had you, your father had so much blue stuff in that bedroom that we just started on a different room when we found out you were a girl."

Marianne giggled. "I know, I know. But it's going to be a boy, I'm sure of it. A mother knows, doesn't she?"

"Not always. I did my share of knitting blue stuff too early." She spoke to the room at large. "I did the silliest thing and tried to determine the gender myself with an old wives' tale. Completely off the mark."

"Well, we did decide one thing for sure," Mokuba said. "If it's a boy, he'll have a Japanese name, if it's a girl, she'll have an English one."

"Like the parents!" Marianne gushed. "And don't call my baby a peanut."

Seto smiled reluctantly. Marianne was the type of woman he usually loathed; always sunny, boisterous, talkative, but he didn't seem to mind her like he did others of her type. He did know that she was a very smart woman and she had her streak of steel, maybe that was why he could stand her.

"Well, dear, I must be getting home," Mrs. Coltrane said, getting up. "It's nearly supper. Ta-ta, honey."

"Good-bye, Mum. Tell Dad I said hi."

"I will. He's already making a trust fund for the baby, that man. Good-bye, Mokuba, Mr. Kaiba."

Mokuba got up to see Mrs. Coltrane out with Marianne and Seto looked around the front room. It was very different than the front room at the Kaiba mansion. Mokuba's touches were in the big-screen TV and the leather upholstery, but Marianne definitely dominated in the color scheme, the flowers on the coffee table, the landscape prints on the walls. He felt very out of place.

"So, Seto, how long are you staying?" Mokuba asked as he and Marianne came back in. "Maybe I can show you what Oxford looks like. And you should see the library at the University. They have more books than you've ever heard of."

Seto wondered if he really should tell Mokuba about Takanawa. He decided against it, at least for the time being. Mokuba was so happy about the news that he was going to be a father that he couldn't bring himself to spoil it with his problems. He just hoped that he hadn't endangered Mokuba's new family by coming here.

"Not long. But I'll let you show me Oxford, I know Marianne won't take no for an answer."

"You've got that right. What do you want for dinner, Seto?"

It was very weird to hear someone other than his brother call him by his given name. "Uh, anything's fine."

"I already told the cook to start on that pot roast recipe you like," Mokuba informed her.

"Oh, aren't you sweet." She put her arms around his neck and kissed him again. "I'm going to go upstairs and start putting the new clothes away. Why don't you two catch up some more. Tell him about our trip!"

She got up and dashed off. Mokuba shook his head. "That woman never walks anywhere. She's going to be at a loss when her stomach is too big for her to run with."

"How was your trip? I received your post card."

"Just the one?"

"The one from Hawaii."

"Oh. Well, you'll see one from Moscow when you get home, I guess. We stopped there for the night at the last minute. She wanted to see the Kremlin."

"How's Russia?"

"Cold. I think it was 15 degrees when we were there. I never thought the forty of here would feel warm."

"Domino was buried in snow when I left."

"Yeah. England's known for it's rain. We started at Oxford on Monday. That school is enormous. I got lost about six times just the first day."

Seto smiled. "You'll get used to it."

"I already am. Marianne's really hitting it off. She found a new friend the second day. She and Joanna and going to London tomorrow for a play or a symphony or something. I don't know, because I'm not going. It's lucky our first week we didn't much homework."

"How's Marianne's pregnancy going to affect her college?"

Mokuba bit his lip. "Yeah, I thought about that, too. Oxford is an uptight, proper kind of school. I don't know how she'll be treated when she's starting to show. That's why I wish we'd waited, but we weren't, you know, thinking. Truthfully, Marianne's just going to be with me. She wants to be a mother and a wife first and foremost and she certainly doesn't need to work. I think she'll probably drop out once she's a little farther along and start focusing more on stuff here. You know we have a racing horse now?"

"No."

"Yeah. Marianne's cousin owns race horses and he gave Marianne a foal as a wedding gift." Mokuba shrugged his shoulders as if to say he didn't understand the unusual gift either. "She saw it a couple of days ago and she's in love with the thing. It's a mare, about three months old. She named it Dancer."

"Of course she did."

"She's not going to have it run. Dancer's going to be her riding horse, I guess."

"Do you have one?" Seto asked in amusement.

"Nope. She's trying to talk me into taking riding lessons with her. But now that's she knows she's pregnant, she's going to have to give up on that. I'm not going to have her risk herself on the back of an animal."

They talked for a while longer and then Marianne came in to announce that supper was ready. Seto and Mokuba got washed up and went in to the table. The dining room was just as impressive as his own at home, only done in blue rather than red. The pot roast was something unlike what Seto was used to, but good in its own way. Marianne pestered him with questions about Japan at that time of year, would he come in to England when the baby came, and what he wanted to do the next day. Mokuba kept sneaking apologetic looks whenever Marianne looked away, but Seto managed to keep his temper. He was just glad Takanawa had not had the gall to try anything.

He hoped that bastard was gone for good. He had no idea whether Takanawa thought the blast had killed them, but when the cops got there and sifted through the wreckage, they wouldn't find any bodies, and that would tip him off. Hopefully the bomb had been one last 'screw you' and Takanawa had taken a well-needed retirement somewhere far away.

tbc…


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter Thirty-Eight:

The next two weeks passed by in a blur. Yugi, who was allowed outside of the hospital as long as he didn't go far or do anything too strenuous, was anxious to test whether or not the chip-procedure was a success. He admitted sulkily to Yami that he'd considered trying even against the doctor's orders until he'd found out that the chips weren't even switched 'on' yet and wouldn't be until the doctor gave the OK.

"I don't like that," Joey grumbled to Yami one night when they were back at the hotel. "Switched 'on' like he's some freaking robot. Don't they have any tact?"

"I'm sure the doctor didn't mean it like that."

"Yeah. I guess not. Hey, Yami, there's something I've been wanting to talk to you about."

Yami looked up at him from where he was sitting at the little hotel room table. Joey was sitting on the edge of his bed, looking uncomfortable. He glanced up at Yami, then away, clearing his throat.

"Um... I don't exactly know how to get started on this, but, um...Yug' and me...we--"

Yami smiled. He understood right away what Joey was trying to say. "Yes?"

"We, we kind of...You know I like Yug', right? I mean, a lot."

"Joey, if you're trying to tell me you love Aibou, you can say it."

Joey flushed and fiddled with his fingers. "Yeah, I know. Okay, so I do. I love Yug'. It's like, like I didn't really know it until I saw him lying there in that hospital for the first time, you know? Like, almost losing him made me realize how much it would hurt if I had." Joey looked up.

"I understand."

"But I didn't really say anything because I didn't think Yug' really felt the same way. And even if I thought he did, he just lost his family and I wasn't going to say something like that there in the hospital. And then all that recovery stuff got in the way and a whole year went before I even realized it. And...And I got together with you, and--"

"Joey, you're not hurting my feelings if that is what you are worried about. I think you and Aibou make a terrific couple."

"You do? Really?"

"Yes."

Joey smiled, looking relieved. "Thanks. Look, I haven't told Yug' about me and you. I didn't really think I had the right to, at least not until I talked it over with you. I'm still not sure if I want to bring it up. But now that he's on the mend, you know, I kind of want to try having a relationship with him, you know what I mean? And the real reason I wanted to talk to you about it is that if I am, I want to do it right. And that means...you and me..."

Yami smiled again encouragingly. "I understand what you're trying to say, Joey."

He did. Joey was trying to get out the fact that he wanted to be exclusive to Yugi, but was afraid of hurting Yami's feelings by 'breaking up' with him. He got up and went over, patting Joey on the shoulder.

"I've seen this coming for a little while now, you and Aibou. I would be happy if it happened."

"Good," Joey said in relief. "I just didn't want you thinking, you know, that I thought it was only about sex."

Yami sat down beside him, rubbing his shoulder again. "Joey, that is what it was about. You are a good friend of mine, but we were not lovers."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Joey blinked, then laughed and kissed Yami on the side of the head. "Trust you to tell it like it is. Thanks, man."

"Of course, Joey. We should probably try to get some sleep. You look tired."

Joey nodded, scrubbing a hand across his eyes. "Yeah, you're right. I guess I haven't been sleeping too well with all the things that've been happening to Yug'. I really am beat."

"Then let's call it a night."

Joey gave him a sleepy smile. Maybe it was the fact that he'd rubbed his hand across his eyes just a second ago, but Yami thought he looked exhausted. He really must have been staying awake worrying about Yugi. That would make two of them. He stood and walked over to the dresser the long-stay hotel provided, changing into his pajamas. When he turned around, Joey was already in his own and was lying beneath the covers, watching him through half-closed eyes.

"We should do something for Yug' tomorrow," he said. "I think he's really disappointed he can't try the chips until Monday."

Yami nodded, turning off the main light and walking over to his own bed, climbing in under the covers. Yugi was disappointed about that news; his doctor had left that morning to attend his daughter's baptism, his family coming in from various states for the event, and wouldn't be back until Monday. No one else at the hospital had the clearance to give permission for Yugi to try. He was getting frustrated and a distraction would be a good idea.

The next morning, they got up early and went to the hospital to check on Yugi. He was already awake himself, having just completed his morning check-up and greeted them in his room, dressed and in his wheelchair.

"My nurse says my stitches can come out tomorrow," he said. "And my X-rays look perfect."

"That's great, Yug!" Joey exclaimed.

"Yeah. So as soon as Dr. Cole gets back on Monday, I'll be walking."

Yugi started rolling forward to go out the door and Yami took the opportunity to exchange a worried look with Joey. He wished Yugi wasn't quite this intense, but he couldn't bring himself to be the doomsayer. There was a good chance the chips wouldn't work, and an even greater one--most likely--that he would never have the capacity for movement he'd had before the accident. Dr. Ashford had already explained that to them, but Yugi didn't seem to be thinking about that. Yami prayed he wasn't becoming illusioned.

"What are we going to do today?" Yugi asked as they went down the hall.

Joey grinned. "Well, you know I don't like to learn things, but I was looking through Chicago brochures and I found something you two might like to do. The Adler Planetarium, what do you think?"

"What is it?"

"This big sky museum that has scale models of the solar system, displays of ancient astronomy instruments, sculptures, and a big theater that shows movements of the sky and a video called SkyWatchers of Africa." He looked at Yami. "Shows how ancient civilizations mapped the stars. I'll bet Egypt's in there."

"If you wanted to know how we mapped the gods' heavens, all you have to do is ask."

Joey laughed and patted Yami on the back. "Yeah, but this is a big dome over our heads."

"That sounds like fun," Yugi admitted.

"Yep. And guess what I've got planned for dinner?" He hurried forward and turned around so that he could face Yugi. "There's a restaurant here called Moto's! Do you have a distant relative in the Chicago food business?"

Yugi giggled. "Not that I'm aware of. Is it really called Moto's?"

"Yeah. It's run by a famous chef named Cantu Homaro. Five-course meal and--"

"Oh, Joey, that sounds expensive."

"It is, but so what? We're celebrating. We've got the money for it, Yug', or I wouldn't have brought it up. Come on, let's have a nice time out on the town and then Dr. Cole will be back."

Yami looked at Yugi, leaving it up for him to decide. He agreed with Joey that Yugi needed to get away from the hospital and spend a day outside, hopefully not brooding about his chances. A smile spread over Yugi's face and he nodded.

"Well, okay. It does sound like fun."

"Great!"

The day passed pleasantly. The planetarium was extremely interesting and Yami enjoyed it. Thanks to his link with Yugi, he knew everything his hikari did about the modern world, but this museum had a lot of facts neither of them knew about. The SkyWatchers of Africa exhibit surprised him by how accurately his people's astrology was portrayed. Joey amused himself and them by making new names for the alternative art scultpures outside.

Finally it was time for their reservation at the restaurant. It was indeed named Moto and was a very classy place. The five-course meal was nothing like they'd ever had. Bacon and maple merluzzo, which Yami was surprised to discover was a fish; a hash brown-and-beef dish; a strange carbonated fruit dish; chocolate-and-raspberry biscotti; and gourmet coffee.

"That was good," Yugi said as they headed back. "Strange, but good. Thanks, Joey."

"You're welcome, Yug'."

"Aibou, are ready for Monday?" Yami asked.

"Oh, yes. I really am."

"Well, we do still have tomorrow to get through," Joey said. "But don't worry, Monday'll get here."

They made it back to the hospital. Up in Yugi's room, Joey excused himself for the bathroom and Yami sat on the edge of Yugi's bed, watching as he lifted himself up onto it from his wheelchair. He arranged himself comfortably and then grinned sunnily at Yami.

/Look at this,/ Yugi said, leaning forward over his legs, pulling up the cuff of one leg of his pants. /The chips might not be on, but ever since the surgery to repair my spine, I can feel my feet more and more. The sensations are still kinda dull, but they're really there!/

Yami smiled back. //That's wonderful, Yugi. But...I am concerned. Aibou, you do know the chances--//

Yugi's smile faded and he nodded, looking down at his lap. /I know, Yami./

//I just don't want you to get your hopes up too high.//

/I know./ Yugi offered a shadow of his former smile. /I know the risks, Yami. I know it's likely it won't work like it's supposed to. But...I can't give up hope, you know?/

//No, don't give up hope. You are doing so well, Aibou.//

Yugi smiled again and it was once again bright and cheery. He looked up as Joey rejoined them, sitting down on the other edge of the bed. He gestured towards Yugi's revealed feet.

"What's going on?"

"I was just telling Yami that I can feel my feet more every day."

"That's great. Hey, close your eyes and don't peek."

Yugi obediently closed his eyes. Joey looked at his face as if to check that he wasn't peeking, then reached down and lightly pinched the second toe on Yugi's left foot between his fingers. Yugi giggled and correctly identified that. Joey pinched the pinkie toe on the right foot and Yugi declared right again. Joey then tapped the heel of Yugi's right foot and then the ball of his left foot. Yugi opened his eyes again, expression radiant.

"See?"

"Awesome," Joey said. He yawned, then grinned again. "What do you want to do tomorrow, Yug'?"

"Nothing expensive. Actually, you know what I want to do? Duel. I haven't even seen my cards since..." He trailed off, looking briefly brooding. He would never get fully over the accident.

"I have your deck," Yami said quickly. "But it's at home."

The cards had survived the collapse of the Game Shop. Yami had not mentioned this before, thinking it rather bittersweet news. He had saved all of the Moto possessions that had not been damaged, keeping them at the apartment, waiting to give them back when he was sure Yugi was more stable. The collection was depressingly small: Yugi's deck and holster, the Puzzle, his mother's jewelry box, his father's watch and wallet, and Grandpa's bandana. There was also a poster promoting the Game Shop, the open sign from the front door, a couple of board games, and, amazingly, the Kame turtle sign that had stood out front. It was a meager assortment he could offer him, but he hoped it would help.

"Oh."

"That doesn't have to stop us," Joey said. "I have my deck. We'll just cut it in half and play."

Yugi smiled again. "Then let's duel," he said. "I would really like to."

"Then we will," Joey said. He yawned again and frowned. "Sorry. I've been kind of tired lately."

"It's been a long day," Yugi said. "I'm beat, too."

Yami and Joey got up to leave the hospital and head for their hotel. Yami knew Yugi was lonely and hated for them to leave, he could sense it, and he was eager for the day when they wouldn't have to leave Yugi in a

hospital anymore.

"We'll be back tomorrow morning and duel until you're tired of seeing the Dark Magician," Joey promised.

Yugi smiled, hugging them each in turn. They said goodnight and Joey returned to the hotel with Yami. He stretched himself out with another yawn before changing into his pajamas.

"Man, I don't get it, Shadow," he said. "I've been really tired lately."

"You've been worried about Yugi," Yami said, getting into his pajamas before climbing into bed. "Just try to get a good night's sleep. You'll need it if you're going to go head-to-head with Aibou. A year is not long enough to tarnish his skills any."

Joey laughed, putting his hand behind his head, the other resting on his stomach. "Yeah. After all this time, Yug' is probably going to be ferocious."

Yami smiled teasingly. "I'm sure you won't mind."

Joey's cheeks turned red. "I don't know how to get it started between us. Honestly, I don't even know how Yug' feels."

"Do you want me to ask?"

"No!" Joey looked embarrassed by his outburst. "I mean, I do know how he feels. I'm just afraid of messing it up. I mean, right now's about him, not me. He doesn't need to think about stuff like that."

Yami frowned slightly as he watched Joey study the ceiling. He didn't know what to say about that. There was truth in the statement, but he was afraid Joey would let it go too long. Yugi was recovering, but Yami thought Joey thought Yugi was still in danger. He was in danger of nothing but the disappointment that would follow any possible problems with the chips. Joey would have to realize that, if he wanted a relationship with Yugi, he would have to make the first move.

He didn't say that, however. Joey would have to come to that conclusion himself. Instead he just said goodnight and turned off the light, looking forward to tomorrow when they could play Duel Monsters like they had before, but more than anything looking forward to Monday and the moment of truth.

tbc…


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter Thirty-Nine:

Seto opened his eyes and yawned, stretching himself out. He had just woken up to his tenth day staying with his brother and his wife and a realization dawned on him.

He was hiding out from Takanawa.

Seto sat up, scowling at nothing in particular. That couldn't be true, could it? He couldn't possibly be scared of that old bastard. True, Takanawa was proving crafty and unscrupulous, but he had dealt with people like him in the past. He wasn't afraid of death, he'd faced it down on multiple occasions. And Takanawa's threat against his family seemed to be mostly hot air; there had been no contact since he'd tried to blow him up inside his house, so he must not know where Mokuba lived like he'd said he did.

And Seto Kaiba was not afraid of anyone. It was time to be a man and return home. If Takanawa was dumb enough to try and threaten him again, he'd just end him. Takanawa could not run forever and there had to be a way to find him.

"So you're going home tomorrow?" Mokuba said over breakfast.

"I think it's time I got out of the newlyweds' house and fend for myself."

Mokuba grinned at that. As if Seto would have trouble fending for himself. Marianne looked at Seto sadly, setting down the long fork she'd been using to eat a grapefruit half with.

"You don't have to leave. You're always welcome."

Seto looked at her, seeing her genuine smile. "Thanks, Marianne," he said with difficulty. "But it's time I got home, start Kaiba Corp. up again. And I need to get started on the dueling school."

"Oh, yeah," Mokuba said, looking guilty. "I forgot, Seto, sor-"

"You have an excuse," Seto said shortly, glancing at Marianne, who giggled.

"But I'll get right on it. I'm sure there's a perfect place near Domino for the school. I'll send you an e-mail as soon as I find one."

Seto nodded and turned back to his breakfast.

******

Seto studied his Blue Eyes White Jet as it sat on a section of Mokuba's lawn. Roland had just dropped it off, his Jet having to suffer through being hoisted up from the island with the cabin and carried to England beneath Kaiba Corp's biggest helicopter, because Roland didn't know how to fly it. Now it was sitting on the expansive lawn of the English mansion, gleaming in the weak winter sunshine. All the snow had melted off of it, but there didn't appear to be any damage done from three weeks buried.

Mokuba was standing with him on the lawn, reaching up to touch the edge of one of the wings. "Man, I haven't flown in this thing in years."

Seto pressed the release for the cockpit cap to pull back and then opened the compartment in the belly to put his suitcase in. He straightened up and turned to his brother. He'd gone the whole time without saying a word to him about Takanawa. He'd also managed to keep the stitches in his arm a secret since long-sleeved shirts were commonplace with him. He'd paid a furtive visit to an English doctor and had the stitches removed; six narrow red scars ran the length of his arm, but they weren't very noticeable as Seto had gotten a very good doctor.

"Thanks for letting me stay, Mokuba."

Mokuba looked at him intently. "You're welcome. Now, I didn't want to say anything in front of Marianne, but is something wrong? No offense, Seto, but you're not the type to visit for any length of time."

"Everything's fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Are you going to find me that property?"

Mokuba frowned, put off by being brushed off. "Yeah, I will. Seto, you know you can come to me for help?"

"Yeah, I know that."

Mokuba studied his face for a moment longer before sighing. "All right. Stay in touch, okay?"

Seto knew what Mokuba meant. "I will."

"Okay. And prepare for Marianne to keep you updated on the baby." Now a smile that was almost apologetic was on his face. "You're going to know every time it kicks."

"Fine, as long as I'm not presented with the knowledge of every physiological change she experiences. That's your problem."

Mokuba laughed. "I promise, I'll edit her letters. 'Bye, Seto."

"Good-bye, Mokuba."

Seto climbed up into the Jet and closed the cap, watching as Mokuba walked up the lawn to stand with Marianne on the back porch. He put an arm around her waist and they both waved. Seto waved back before starting up the Jet's engines, letting it rise up into the air by the downward propulsions before changing to the thrusters, pushing the throttle forward and launching forward at an upward angle. He turned in midair to swoop once over the house before taking off.

Several hours later he was touching down on the roof of Kaiba Corp. The helicopter was already there, Roland having left hours before he had. He was there to greet him, taking his suitcase from him and walking with him into the stairwell to head down to the top floor where Seto's office was, filling him in.

"Good," he said. "Now that I'm back, all projects are green-lighted. Get everything back to the way it was."

"Yes, sir."

Roland departed with the suitcase. He'd have someone clean the clothes and then deliver them back to the mansion where the maid would put them away. Seto sat down at his desk and fired up his computer, checking out his e-mails, reports, local business news. There wasn't much to interest him.

Turning off his computer, Seto steepled his fingers and rested his chin on them. Time zones included, twelve days had passed since Takanawa had tried to blow them up in his house and there was absolutely nothing on the radar about him. Did he know they'd survived? Had he given up? Seto's gut told him yes to the first question and no to the second, so what was his motive?

******

Seto hated to admit it to himself, but he was beginning to get nervous. He'd been back in Japan for over a month and nothing had happened. There had been no contact whatsoever from Takanawa. This habit of disappearing was unsettling, which he suspected was the point. And he was back to square one; Takanawa had blown up his own house and was now in the wind. He could be anywhere.

He'd kept in touch with Mokuba, like he'd promised, and far more often than he would have if the situation had been different. Mostly by e-mail, they talked every couple of days. Mokuba had yet to find the right place for the dueling school, but Seto didn't care. He had worse things to worry about and Mokuba better things.

An uncle. That was something he hadn't thought about, but now that there was no crazy person trying to kill him, he did stop and think about it. Letting his hands drop, he leaned back against his chair and folded his arms. Marianne was more than three months pregnant, so by the end of August, the baby would be here. Seto was at a lost. As an uncle, what was expected of him? Mokuba and Marianne, as a couple, had almost as much money as Kaiba Corp. as a business. They would be able to buy their baby anything and Seto could not picture himself wandering the baby aisles of a store looking for teeny booties or onesies.

There was also the idea of babysitting. Could he do that? He'd taken care of his brother a little when their parents were still alive and they'd all lived together, but that had been years ago and minor.

Well, he supposed there was no help for it but to wait until August and see what came about.

"Mr. Kaiba?"

Seto glanced up, seeing Roland leaning into the room. He'd been so preoccupied by his thoughts that he hadn't been paying attention to any knocks.

"What?"

"It's a quarter of four, sir."

Seto glanced at the clock on his desk and realized Roland was right. He had a meeting with a member of the federal grant board to discuss the school he had planned. Though it would be classified under entertainment than educational, he would still need to go through the right circuits and red tape to get the permission.

"Right."

Seto got up and picked up his briefcase, heading out with Roland to make his meeting. He would just have to put his concerns aside and keep up with his company. It had already suffered a month-long halt and he couldn't afford that again.

tbc…


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter Forty:

Yami walked into Yugi's hospital room, nervous energy running through him. It was Monday, Dr. Cole was back, and Yugi would know once and for all whether he would be able to walk ever again. Joey was with him, and he was just as nervous and far more vocal about it. He'd gone over what Yugi would do if it didn't work several times to no satisfying answer. Yami had let him talk, though he hadn't volunteered anything. He didn't know what Yugi would do.

"Hi," Yugi said with deceptive calm. Yami could sense the anxiety buzzing through his hikari as easily as his own. "You're right on time."

"How you doing, Yug'?" Joey asked him.

"Okay right now. I want this to be over with." He hesitated. "One way or the other."

"It'll be fine, you'll see."

Yugi smiled a little. At that moment the nurse came in.

"Good morning, Mr. Moto. How are we feeling this morning? Any more itching where the stitches were?"

"No."

"Good. Any dizziness, light-headedness, nausea?"

"No."

"Okay. Dr. Cole's ready for you. Let's go."

Yugi moved himself into the wheelchair and undid the stops, rolling forward. The nurse took the handles and started pushing him and Yami didn't miss the slight irritated look on Yugi's face. He suspected being pushed was hospital policy, but it was clear Yugi didn't like it.

//Do you know what's going to happen?//

/No. No one's told me yet. I just know that we're meeting Dr. Cole somewhere./ Yugi gave a mental sigh. /I want out of this chair, Yami./

//I know, Aibou.//

They were taken to what turned out to be the hospital's physical rehabilitation center. It was an enormous room not unlike a gym, filled with equipment such as weight lifts, treadmills, padded tables, and mats. Dr. Cole was waiting at the far end of the mat spread, a strange machine beside him that looked similar to a heart monitor.

"Good morning, Yugi," he said. "How do you feel?"

"I feel fine," Yugi said with a trace of impatience.

Yami glanced at the back of Yugi's head as the nurse wheeled him over to the machine. He realized that Yugi was not quite the same as he'd once been. He was more on edge, more snappish. These past sixteen months had been very hard for him and Yami knew that Yugi regaining his mobility was not just so he could be free of limitation, but was a way for Yugi to gain back some of his life. He was focusing on his legs so he didn't have to focus on his family.

"Good. What we're going to do here is attach these electrodes..." He reached down and picked up the sort of thing attached when brain wave patterns were read. "...to your scalp and spine. Just like if we were mapping out your heart beat, only these will be emitting signals rather than absorbing them. They'll turn on the chips we've surgically attached and activate the programs installed."

"Programs?" Joey asked.

"Yes. The first chip has been programmed to read the synaptic codes from the movement control center of Yugi's brain and transmit it to the one on his spine, bypassing the damaged area, and the second one will mimick those signals and send the appropriate electric impulses to the nerves of Yugi's legs."

"Is that safe?"

Dr. Cole looked at Joey steadily. "Anything involving the brain is not entirely safe. There are so many variables and the brain is something that makes it own decisions. But we are confident in what we are trying to do."

Joey shifted, his jaw tightening for a second before he looked down at Yugi. "Go for it, Yug'."

Yugi's smile was wide. He looked at Dr. Cole, who instructed him to maneuver himself to facing away from the machine, the back of the wheelchair almost against it. He then took the first electrode and leaned over the top of Yugi's head, pushing the spikes of his hair out of his way. The first electrode was pushed against the top of Yugi's head, though Yami could see how lightly Dr. Cole did it. Yugi's skull was still healing at the section momentarily taken out to install the chip.

Dr. Cole had Yugi lean forward and he lifted up the back of Yugi's shirt, also pushing down the waistband of Yugi's pants a little. The damage to the spine had happened eight inches above Yugi's rear end and the chip was fitted two inches below that. Dr. Cole pressed the second electrode in place and let the shirt fall back in place.

"Okay, Yugi, I'm going to turn on the computer and start the program. You're going to feel something like static electricity running through your body. It's probably going to be uncomfortable, but it's imperative you don't scratch and loosen the electrodes."

"Okay."

"Should he be sitting on metal?" Joey fretted.

"The current is minor," Dr. Cole said. "And since we're already electrocuting him--" He held up his hand as Joey gasped. "--that's the only term I can use! Since we're already doing that, having him touch metal doesn't matter. Here we go, Yugi."

/Yami, I'm going to close our link,/ Yugi said. /Just in case./

Before Yami could protest, Yugi had done just that. He knew Yugi was protecting him in case something went wrong, but he didn't want that, didn't want to acknowledge any possibility.

Dr. Cole turned on the machine, tapping a few times on a keyboard and then stepping back. Yugi blinked, looking down distractedly at the floor, then raising his head.

"Yug'?"

"I'm fine, Joey. It feels weird, like ants are walking along my skin. But it doesn't hurt."

"How long will it take?" Yami asked, speaking aloud for the first time.

"Just a few minutes."

They waited, Yugi fidgeting a little, and at last Dr. Cole moved over to turn off the machine and remove the electrodes. He then picked up what looked like a small square pendant on a thong.

"This is an emergency shut off," he said. "The computer was putting in the program, but this turns the chips on and off. If something does go wrong, use this to turn off the chips. The white button turns them on, the black turns them off, the red is a panic button to summon local paramedics."

"Hey--"

Dr. Cole cut Joey off this time. Perhaps he was getting tired of Joey's misgivings. "It's a necessary precaution, Mr. Wheeler. Wear this at all times, Yugi."

Yugi took the pendant and put it around his neck, then looked up expectantly. For the first time, Dr. Cole smiled and stepped back a step.

"Well, press the white button and let's see what happens. But be ready. You've been doing all your exercises, but your legs are still weaker than they were to begin with."

Yugi looked down at the pendant, then reached up and pressed the white button. Nothing seemed to happen, but Yugi reached down to grasp the armrests of the wheelchair and push upwards. Yami and Joey both moved forward, just in case, but neither reached for him.

Yugi straightened up, then let go of the armrests. He stayed on his feet, trembling a little, but an enormous smile spread on his face. He took a shaking step, wobbled, then took another, and a third. He gasped softly, taking another step and then a fifth, coming up to Yami and Joey, reaching out. They each took one of his arms, holding him up as he started wobbling again, but Yugi steadied rather than falling.

"Oh, gods, it worked!" he gasped.

Both Yami and Joey hugged him as Yugi started to cry, overcome with relief and emotion. Yami buried his face against Yugi's shoulder and closed his eyes. Relief such as nothing he'd ever felt before ran through his body. He lifted his head after a moment and kissed the top of Yugi's head. Yugi lifted it and took his hand back so he could wipe his cheeks, sniffling.

"Thanks, Dr. Cole," he said.

Dr. Cole nodded, but he wasn't done with his warnings. "I'm very glad for you, Yugi. Remember to take your time. This isn't the end of your journey. You'll have to keep your wheelchair for a little longer and you're not out of this hospital yet. For the next two or three weeks I'm going to put you on a schedule. You'll go through your strength-increasing exercises every morning, then we'll get you out of the chair to take a walk, see how far you can go before your legs get tired. Then you will get back in your chair to rest. We'll do it over again in the afternoon. Hopefully you'll make progress every day. At the end of three weeks, we'll assess that progress and if everything looks good, I'll clear you to go home. Can you do that?"

"Yes."

"Good. Take a few more steps if you want to, then we'll get you something to eat."

Yugi was eager to do that. Both Yami and Joey let go of him and let him walk around a little more. He was grinning constantly, despite the fact that his steps were slow, laborous, and unsteady. He walked about halfway across the mat before turning around to come back. He nearly fell when he turned, but managed to catch himself, which only showed how successful the chip-procedure had been, that his reflexes were fast enough to stop him from falling. However, on the way back, he did overbalance and fall. Instead of becoming upset, he merely climbed back to his feet and started again, laughing a little.

"I feel like a toddler," he said with amusement.

It was good he thought it was funny rather than frustrating. Perhaps that would come later. Yami and Joey took his arms again to help him as he turned around to sit back down in his chair. This was a more difficult movement and his legs did end up giving out, making Yami's and Joey's holds necessary to keep him from falling into his chair.

"How do your legs feel?" Dr. Cole asked.

"Tired."

"I suspected so. Your muscles still need to be exercised back to full strength. Do you have any dizziness or nausea?"

"I don't feel sick, but I am a little light-headed."

"Again, that's to be expected, your blood is being circulated faster with movement. Any pain?"

"No."

"Good. Now you need to eat. Sharon'll take you to the cafeteria. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Thank you, Dr. Cole," Yami said.

"Yeah, thanks," Joey agreed.

"You're welcome. Good-bye."

Sharon was the nurse who had brought them to the rehab room to begin with. She took them to the enormous cafeteria and then left to go about her other duties. Yugi looked at both of them, then smiled almost conspiratorily as he put the stops on the wheels, got to his feet, and switched to one of the molded plastic chairs around their table.

/I couldn't resist,/ he admitted to Yami, opening their link again.

//I'm so happy for you, Aibou.//

"This is so great," Joey said.

"I know," Yugi said. "And I can't wait to go home."

"We should talk about that," Joey said. "Yami, I don't think we can forget about Japan. But I don't want to put you guys in danger..."

"I don't want to leave Domino," Yugi said feverently. "It's still my home...even now."

Yami looked at his hikari and frowned. He knew what Yugi meant; it wasn't just that he'd grown up in Domino, it was where his family had died. Instead of wanting to run from that, he wanted to stay. Yami knew that Yugi was being driven to return to his life, and while he wasn't sure if that was completely healthy, he understood it. He didn't want to make it worse for him.

"I know, Aibou." He thought for a minute. "I have not heard of anything relating to Kaiba in the news."

"Yeah, I guess if the jerk snuffed it, it would be in the papers."

Yugi frowned at Joey. "Don't call him a jerk. If it weren't for Kaiba, this wouldn't have happened."

"Hey, it was Kaiba's money, not Kaiba himself that did it. And Yami earned that money." He gave Yami a dark look, which he ignored. They'd been over this several times before. "But what were you getting at, Yami?"

"If Kaiba has not been hurt, perhaps Takanawa has given up. I will call him and see."

Joey's look darkened at that, as if he didn't like the idea of Yami calling Kaiba. But it seemed like the best recourse and Yami set his mind to do that, though he would wait until Yugi was cleared to even return to Japan.

tbc…


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter Forty-One:

"Mr. Kaiba, you have a phone call."

Seto sighed and lifted the receiver, pressing the flashing red light. "Yes?"

"Kaiba, it's Yami."

Surprised, Seto straightened up in his chair. He frowned, his other hand tightening into a fist on the desk top. Why on earth was Yami calling him? They hadn't seen each other in over six weeks and Seto had almost forgotten about him. Now that his voice was in his ear, he quite remembered why that was.

"What do you want?"

"Yugi's surgery was a success. He can walk again."

Seto's frown deepened. Had Yami called him just for that? Why would he think to call him, as if they were friends?

"Good," he said, for lack of anything else to say.

"Yes. Thank you for your help. But the real reason I was calling you was to inquire about Takanawa. Have you not heard from him in all this time?"

"No."

"Do you suppose he has given up?"

Seto could hear the doubt in Yami's voice. It matched his own.

"No. He might be planning something. Why?"

"Yugi wishes to return to Japan. I didn't want to take that risk if he was still there. But even for Takanawa, a month-long absence seems suspicious. Perhaps he has given up."

"Maybe. Do whatever you want, it's none of my business."

He hung up the phone. Yami's voice was getting on his nerves and he would rather have not heard it to begin with. He didn't care what they did, it wasn't his problem. He had gotten the clearance for his dueling school and he had to focus on that. Let Yami come back if he wanted to, as long as he stayed away.

******

A few days later, Seto received another call. His heart dropped as he recognized that familiar, gravelly voice.

"Did you miss me, kid?"

"No, I can't say I have. Where have you been? I'd hoped you'd died of old age."

Takanawa growled into his ear. "That was a nice trick with Kato. It nearly worked. Did you enjoy my present to you? Pity you weren't less perceptive, or maybe we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"I'm surprised we are, actually. I would have thought Kato would have had you."

"Like I said, he nearly did. I've had to relocate my family. I can't say I'm too happy about that."

"What do you want now, Takanawa? Is there really any point to this anymore?"

"Oh, there's plenty of point. First, I just like messing with people. Second, I've still got a score to settle with you. All you've stolen for me doesn't begin to add up to the pain and loss you've caused me. And I don't want you to pay me out of your pocket. I don't want your silly 'game' dollars. I want good old-fashioned ill-gotten gain. And now you'll have to pay for the fear you've caused my family. I don't know if my little boy will ever be the same."

"I'm so sorry about that," Seto said sarcastically.

"I don't think insults and sarcasm are good for you right now. They only make me angrier."

"I suppose your threat might work if I actually feared you."

Seto closed his eyes as soon as the last word left his mouth. What was he doing? There were times his mouth got him in trouble. Discretion was sometimes the better course, but he just hated to be pushed. Still, Takanawa had the advantage and only the stupid shot off his mouth when disadvantaged.

"So what do you want me to steal this time?"

Takanawa laughed. "Now there's a good boy. After all, you're going to have to start all over again if you want to find me."

"I know that. Maybe fifth time's the charm."

"Hm. Actually, instead of stealing, how about we raise your illegal activities up a bit?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm afraid that our dear friend Buck has gotten himself into trouble these last couple of weeks. He's enjoying the hospitality of the Hong Kong police. Precinct 2-5. No bail."

Seto knew exactly what Takanawa was saying he wanted, but he pretended ignorance. There was no way, no way he could expect Seto could do that.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I guess you'll have to find someone else to be the pain in my ass."

"No, no. I've grown rather fond of Buck. For all his impulsive behavior and low-brow sense of humor, he's very effecient. Very obedient. I think I want him back. Problem is, he killed a man during his antics. He's in jail for a very long time."

"What do you want me to do about it?"

"I've very impressed with your ability to sneak into places and bring back things. Very impressed. It's almost surreal, almost magick."

Seto gripped the phone tighter and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Magick, of course that's what it was. "You're saying you want me to spring Buck from the Hong Kong jail."

"Bingo. I knew you'd come out and say what you've already realized. I know how smart you are, kiddo. You're too smart to be any good at playing dumb. Yes, I want you to bring Buck back to me. Think you can do that?"

"Can is not the question. Will is another matter, and I really don't think I will."

"Must we go over this every time? If you're wondering whether I really will kill your brother, you can put that question to bed, because I will."

"You keep saying that, but Mokuba's never mentioned anything out of the ordinary. I don't think you actually do know where he lives. I don't think you have nearly as much power as you'd lead me to believe."

"Your brother is a man nearly six feet tall, his hair is still long though he wears it in a ponytail most times now. His little wife is an auburn-headed beauty fond of sundresses and pearls."

Seto remained silent. So Takanawa could describe Mokuba and Marianne. He'd had someone stalking Seto for several months before he'd even made the first contact, so it was no surprise he knew what they looked like. Knowing where they lived now was something else. Unfortuantely, Takanawa was not finished.

"His house is a nice two-story mansion in Cambridge with four Greek-style pillars out front and a ton of roses. The little missus must like roses, right?"

"What makes you think I can do this alone?"

"I don't know. How have you done everything else alone?"

Seto opened his eyes and turned his chair around to look out the window at the darkening sky of late winter evening. Was it possible that Takanawa still didn't know about Yami? Kato did, but maybe he hadn't mentioned that when he'd gone after Takanawa and now he was dead. And while Seto had thought he'd been watching them there outside of his house before he'd tried to blow them up, he hadn't directly made reference to Yami. Seto kept his mouth shut. If Takanawa really didn't know, maybe he could still use Yami to even the playing field. Even if Takanawa did know about him, he could still be useful. The idea of coming into contact with him again made his stomach flip over, but he'd push down his discomfort if it meant being done with this. Five months now this was going on.

"That's for me to know and you to never find out."

"Are you going to just admit you're going to do what I tell you or are you actually going to have to have some real incentive this time?"

"What's my deadline?" Seto demanded through clenched teeth.

There was no doubt that Takanawa knew where Mokuba really was. For all Seto knew, Takanawa had someone sitting out front of Mokuba's house right now with a high-powered pair of binoculars.

"I would really like to see Buck back home by...what is it, February 22th? Let's say by March 8th. Think you can do that?"

"Fine. Stay away from my brother."

"He's my only hold over you. I'm not going to hurt him unless you force me to."

"Great."

Seto hung up the phone, then put his head in his hands. So much for hope for the future. Takanawa was like an infection; he would just keep eating away at Seto. And it was looking like there was no possible cure.

Wait a minute. Seto lifted his head and considered. Was it possible Takanawa had just inadvertantly given him the advantage? He wanted his man back. Maybe Seto could use that; get Buck out of jail and then use him to get to Takanawa. Maybe he would even be able to buy Buck's loyalty. Wouldn't that be a fun twist?

He would spring Buck, buy him out, and send him back to Takanawa to kill him.

tbc…


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter Forty-Two:

Yami headed up the sidewalk with Yugi and Joey, his eyes trained on the apartment. They hadn't been back in over a month, but he couldn't see or detect anything malicious. Kaiba had said that goons from Kato had torn the place apart, but from the outside it seemed the same as usual.

Yugi was walking steadily at his side. In the five weeks since he'd regained his ability to use his legs, he'd improved drastically. Though he still needed his chair, which was in the trunk of the car, though he had promised the doctor that he would use it in place of using stairs for the first three months, he was walking steadily. He was beside himself with joy, even more cheerful than usual. He wanted to go out for walks several times a day and Yami and Joey were so happy for him that neither cared at all about having to accompany him.

"I know it's unlikely that they're still here after all this time," Joey said, the three of them pausing on the stoop. "But should we be so quick to go in?"

"I don't see why not," Yami said. "I don't sense any presence. And Kato is dead."

He ignored the side look from Joey and went up the ramp to the front door. It was locked, which surprised him, but he pulled his key out of his wallet and unlocked it. Pushing it open, he walked in, Yugi and Joey behind him. To his immense shock, the contents of the entire apartment were in boxes.

"What the hell?" Joey said.

They walked further in, looking around the living room. Except for the couch, coffee table, and wing-back chair, everything was packed up. Yami peered into the kitchen and saw that it was same in there.

"There you are!"

All three of them jumped at the sound of the angry voice. They all turned to see Mr. Cheval, the apartment's manager standing in the doorway, his fists clenched at his side. His narrow black eyes were narrower than usual, teeth gritted.

"Three weeks behind on your bills and now you show up?! Where have you been?"

"Sorry, Mr. Cheval, we've been in Chicago--"

"I don't care about your excuses!" he shouted, despite what he had just said. "You disappear, no word, no payments, and think you can just walk back in here?! I was just about to sell your stuff--"

"You can't do that!" Joey shouted.

Mr. Cheval's voice went up even louder. "No word, I thought you ran off! Makes it my stuff. You've got until noon tomorrow get your asses out of here!"

He stalked out and slammed the door so hard the windows rattled. Joey growled and clenched his fists, but Yami put a hand on his shoulder to stop him from running outside and making it worse. Yugi was looking at them both with his brow furrowed, looking unsure of what to do. Joey looked at Yami, his furious expression melting.

"What do we do now?"

"We do what he told us to do," Yami said with a sigh. "Get out of here."

"Can he just do that?" Yugi asked.

"Yes, he can. We didn't pay our rent."

"Fuck, I totally forgot," Joey muttered.

"As did I."

"At least our stuff's already packed up," Yugi said with an obvious attempt to find a silver lining.

Joey laughed, nodding. "That's true. But where do we go?"

Yami glanced at the watch on Joey's wrist. It was a little before two in the afternoon. They had twenty-three hours to find another solution.

"I don't think we'll be able to find an apartment quickly enough," he said. "Let us get our possessions out to the car--"

"It's not all going to fit."

Yami considered, but it was Yugi who came up with the solution. "It doesn't look like all that much. Couldn't we just fit it into a single room? Like a hotel? At least until we find another apartment."

Joey sighed, then shrugged his shoulders. "Ah, well, what's another couple of nights in a hotel?"

"I'm really sorry, guys."

"Whoa, whoa. Yug', when did it become your fault? We didn't pay our bills, that's on us. And Mr. Cheval's been a dick to us since day one. You remember that first day, Yami? He told us, Yug', that we looked like a couple of druggies to him and if we missed a payment by one day he'd kick us out. Told Yami that just 'cause he looked like a head-banger didn't mean he'd tolerate any punk music."

Yami smiled without fondness at the memory. "He's right, Aibou."

"Well, let's get started," Joey said.

"Can I help?" Yugi asked.

Yami and Joey glanced at each other. Yugi was still on probation when it came to what he could do and lifting heavy things was out.

"Come on, let me help," Yugi said.

"All right. Yug', I don't know if we told you, but the furniture ain't ours. We rented this place half-furnished."

"I can still help."

"Yeah, I know. How about you get those boxes of dishes there in the kitchen?"

"Kay." Yugi smiled and went into the kitchen.

Yami walked over to the stacks of boxes against the far wall and pulled open the flap of one. Inside were stacks of Joey's clothing. He opened another to find it his own inside.

"I guess we don't have to go upstairs."

"Nope."

Yami glanced up, seeing that Joey was coming downstairs from having done just that. Joey waved his hands to indicate the living room.

"Everything we own is down here already. He wasn't kidding when he said he was going to sell it. Hey, is everything there?"

"We won't know until we open everything and we don't have time for that."

Joey scowled and hefted a box. "I tell you, we get to the hotel and something's missing--Hey, whoa, we didn't have much, be we had some valuable stuff. Check for Yug's deck."

Yami was quick to do that. He didn't think Yugi could take losing his grandfather's deck. He glanced up as Yugi went walking past to the front door, holding a small box of dishes in his hands; Joey jumped up to go help him with the door and, as Yami knew, to go with him down the ramp to the car. Turning back to the boxes, he had to paw through seven of them before he found the one he was looking for. To his relief, a quick search showed all of Yugi's cards safely tucked away in their hip holster. He also found all of the items from the Game Shop he'd saved, as well as the Millennium Items. He knew these had not been disturbed only because they were locked inside a small wooden chest Joey had presented him with, complete with padlock and key. He had the key on him and satisfied himself with seeing they were all there, minus the Puzzle which was around his neck.

"Everything's here," he told Joey as he came back.

"Good."

Joey hefted another box while Yugi got the second of the two that had been in the kitchen. Yami picked up the trunk and soon the three of them had filled the car as well as they were able. Yami and Yugi both decided to stay with the rest of stuff while Joey went to secure a hotel.

They two of them settled themselves on the couch and Yugi looked over at Yami with a smile. /I know you had your reservations about coming back, Yami, but I'm glad we did. This is...home./

Yami smiled back, patting Yugi's arm. //I know, Aibou.//

/Can I ask you something?/

//Of course.//

/I... Do you think I should make a move on Joey?/

Yami blinked in surprise, not expecting Yugi to have asked that so suddenly. Yugi blushed and looked down at his hands in his lap, clasping them together.

/I just get this feeling like he's holding back. Or did you not know...?/

//I knew, Aibou. I see how you look at him. It's up to you what you want to do. I'm sure he would be happy if you did.//

Yugi smiled and leaned against him, resting his head on his shoulder. Yami wrapped his arm around him and rested his head on top of his.

/Thanks, Yami. For being with me through all of this. I didn't really think it was going to happen./

//Aibou, you are too strong for it not to have.//

Yami felt a warm buzz of contentment and gratitude from Yugi and he squeezed him lightly against him. Abruptly Yugi sat up, then pushed himself up to his feet. Yami watched closely; despite Yugi's progress, he always worried he'd overbalance when he did that. Yugi turned to look at him, holding out his hand and Yami took it, getting to his feet.

/I just realized...I never went to visit my family's graves./

Yami had forgotten about that. They'd planned on taking Yugi as soon as he'd been released from the Shintaka Center, but every time they'd set it up, something else had come up and they'd had to change their plans.

"We can go as soon as Joey gets back," Yami promised.

Yugi nodded and let go of his hand, walking over to the remaining boxes waiting to be loaded into the car. Yami watched as he knelt down beside them and opened the one that contained all that Yami had salvaged from the Kame Game Shop. He wasn't that surprised that Yugi instinctively knew which it was and he stood and watched silently as Yugi carefully pulled out each item to study it closely, running his fingers over every surface. From his vantage point he could see a little of Yugi's face and he watched as a tear ran down Yugi's cheek.

Joey came back a couple of minutes later while Yugi was still kneeling by the box and whatever he'd been about to say died on his tongue. He glanced at Yami, then looked at Yugi, who looked up from the jewelry box he was holding in his hands, his father's watch and his grandfather's bandana resting in his lap. His cheeks were wet with tears, but he smiled.

"Joey, let's get the rest of the stuff in the car and then I want to go see their graves."

"Sure, Yug'."

They finished loading the rest of the boxes into the car and headed out to the Domino City Graveyard to the south of the city. The ride was silent and when they arrived there, Yugi got out of the car and walked towards the entrance to the graveyard without looking at them. They caught up with him, Joey gently leading Yugi to the Moto family plots.

Mr. and Mrs. Moto were lain side-by-side near the path, the gravesites covered in clean-cut green grass, a pot each of flowers to the sides of the graves, yellow roses for her and white peonies for him. Grandpa Moto was lain by his wife--who had died years before Yugi was ever born--several plots down and two rows up. Yami and Joey stopped at the path and let Yugi walk alone up to the gravesites. He knelt down at their feet and pressed his hands together in front of his face, closing his eyes and offering a prayer.

Yugi was still for a long time but finally he got to his feet and moved on up to his grandparents' graves, carefully circumventing other graves to avoid stepping above the bodies interred. He knelt and prayed for them as well before getting up again and coming back to them.

"Thanks, guys."

"No problem, Yug'. You okay?"

Yugi nodded, wiping his cheeks. "Yeah, I am. I feel a lot better now that I've come up here."

He suddenly sighed and sat down on the path. Joey and Yami immediately knelt down, looking at him in concern.

"What's wrong, Yugi?" Joey asked.

"Nothing. It's just...my legs are tired." Yugi made a face then looked up at them plaintively. "Is it ever going to be like it was?"

"I...don't know," Yami said gently.

Joey got up to go and get the wheelchair out of the car, but Yugi wouldn't have it. Despite their cautions, Yugi was adamant about walking out of the graveyard and Joey finally gave in and pulled him up to his feet, letting him lean on him to do it. Yami followed after, watching the back of Yugi's head.

Like he had in the hospital, he was concerned about the impatient, irritable episodes Yugi had. The more upset Yugi got, the more unrealistic about his recovery he got. He was pushing himself. Yami just hoped he didn't push himself too hard.

tbc…


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter Forty-Three:

Seto sighed as he entered the Fire Room. It was March 2nd and he'd put off getting Yami to help him long enough. He didn't know how long this was going to take so he needed to get a start on it.

In all honesty, he didn't know if Yami still worked here. After all that had happened and the fact that Yugi was healthy again, maybe he'd finally gotten another job. It would make sense if he had, but there was no way for him to know. He'd gone to their address the day before only to find that the apartment was empty and the ill-tempered apartment manager had told him he'd thrown them out. Seto had asked where they'd gone and the manager had had the nerve to cuss him out. Seto had enjoyed standing up to his fullest height, putting on his most intimating glare, and verbally reducing the man to a quivering heap. By the time he was done, Mr. Cheval was literally cringing away from him, speaking so fast his words were running together that he didn't know where they'd gone, that if he heard he'd tell him right away, and he really had to leave to make a meeting that Seto knew didn't exist. He'd watched the man run out of his office and had left at a more languid, self-satisfied pace.

He'd then tried putting in Joey's name into the DMV to get his address off of his driver's license data, but the address was the old one. Joey hadn't gone to the office to change it.

So this was his only option left. He entered the Fire Room and had to go through fending off the silly floozies that came up. The person on the stage was neither Yami nor Joey, so he went over to the bar where the only woman he'd seen in the place was wiping the bar down.

"Yami?" she repeated, looking up at him suspiciously. "Why?"

"I need to talk to him," he said impatiently.

She looked at him for another moment before shrugging. "He's off tonight.

"Do you know where he lives?"

"Uh-uh, nice try."

"Look, it's important. I went to his old address, but the manager said he threw them out. I don't have any way to get in touch with him now."

The woman stared at him again. She leaned forward conspiratorially and smiled engagingly.

"Get lost, creep."

She straightened up with a smirk and went down the bar to talk to a patron sitting there. Seto growled and turned away from the bar. His eyes went to a door across the room that he'd never been through before. The one by the bar led to the alley, the one by the stage led to the dancers' dressing room, which left that one to be the owner's office.

Seto walked over, knocked and entered. The room was empty, which suited him. He went over to the single filing cabinet and opened it, finding the folders of the employees. He quickly went through the alphabet and found Moto, Yami. Pulling out the file, he opened it, half-expecting that the address would be the old one. Instead, beneath Yami's name was a hotel address, room 212. He frowned, wondering why Yami was 'living' in a hotel.

"What the hell?!"

Seto looked up with a smile. The woman from the bar was leaning in the office door, looking shocked and angry. Seto waved the folder and slipped it back into its place, shutting the file drawer. He walked over, pausing to look at her and smiled.

"Thanks."

He walked past her and left the Fire Room. Getting into his Jaguar, he headed to the Motorside Hotel on sixth in downtown. It wasn't a sleazy place like he thought given the name, but was instead a three-story white building with navy trim, clean and well-kept. He parked in an open space and sighed, getting out of the car and walked towards the stairs to head up to the second floor.

He didn't know what he was going to do if Joey was there, but he took the chance and knocked on the door. There was no answer and after the second attempt, he was about to give up when he turned at the sound of Yami's voice coming down the walkway.

"Kaiba! What are you doing here?"

Yami was holding a plastic bottle of soda in his hand and he walked up to him, looking cautious and reserved. Seto gestured towards the closed door.

"A hotel?"

"Mr. Cheval at the apartment threw us out and we haven't found an appropriate apartment yet. Why are you here? What is so important you broke into Robert's office? Dana called me."

Seto supposed Dana was the woman from the Fire Room and Robert the manager. He sighed and folded his arms and gave Yami the rundown.

"So now I need your help."

Yami looked surprised, then pulled a key card out of his pocket and slid it through the key slot. "I think I will pass, Kaiba. Helping you has not been good for my health."

Seto growled, then threw out another wild card. Yugi was still a weak spot. "Takanawa thinks you're Yugi. He threatened him when he talked to me."

That was a simple lie, he still didn't know whether Takanawa even knew about Yami at all. He was going to push him however he had to to get what he needed. Yami stopped and rested his hand on the doorjamb, lowering his head a little. He growled and turned back around, but his expression was more concerned than angry.

"He did?"

"Yeah. Yami Moto doesn't exist to him, but Yugi Moto does. He's not going to know the difference. Where are they now?"

"At a check-up at the Shintaka Center. I just got back from an interview. But don't change the subject, how can Takanawa know where we are?"

"I found out. If you get a real apartment, you'll have to change your address and that's easy enough to find out through the phone records or the DMV. So we'd do better to strike first."

"How do propose to do that?" Yami demanded, sliding his card through the slot again so he could open the door. "Come on."

Seto really didn't want to enter the hotel room, he'd much rather stay outside on the balcony but he followed Yami inside. The hotel room was actually a suite, containing a separate kitchen/living room set apart from the two-bed bedroom through the open doorway. It was small, but clean and comfortable. Yami settled down in the upholstered chair by the small table and looked up at him.

"Do you have a plan?" he asked, opening his bottle and taking a drink.

Seto sighed and sat down across from him. "Yeah. I told you, he wants us to go to Hong Kong and break Buck out of jail. Can you do that?"

"With my magick, of course. Why should I?"

"Because I'm going to buy the bastard out and send him back to Takanawa so that he can kill him himself."

Yami narrowed his eyes. "What makes you think he will?"

"Because everyone has a price and a guy like Buck is only in it for the money. And maybe the violence. My way will give him both."

"What if he's loyal to Takanawa? You cannot be certain that he isn't."

"True. So I have another plan. Say he is loyal and he takes my money just to go back to Takanawa and let him know I sent him there to kill him. Takanawa might decide to run for it again. So I'll put a tracker on Buck. When Takanawa takes him with him, I'll follow the signal and you can send them both to the Shadow Realm."

"What if Takanawa becomes suspicious of Buck as a double agent and does not get into contact with him again?"

"I thought of that, too."

"And?"

"I'll have to think of something for that if it happens."

Yami made a face. Seto growled at him.

"Do you have a better idea? For all of your magick, you haven't found him either. I'm just human, you're the reborn sorcerer."

Yami frowned and looked down at his Puzzle. "It doesn't work that way."

"Of course it doesn't. Look, are you going to help or not? Or does Yugi have to die?"

Yami gave Seto such a furious glare, his third Eye blazing on his forehead, that Seto shut his mouth. Yami stood up, slamming the plastic bottle down on the table.

"Don't you dare--"

"Let me interrupt before you go on a tirade. I'm not the one threatening Yugi, Takanawa is."

Yami gritted his teeth before sighing, all the anger leaving him. The Eye faded and he sat back down in the chair and put his head in his hands. "Fine, Kaiba. When?"

Seto got to his feet. "I'll pick you up tomorrow at noon."

Yami nodded without looking up. Probably he was trying to decide what he was going to tell Yugi and Joey. Seto turned and left the hotel room, walking down the stairs to the parking lot and getting into his Jaguar. He headed for home, going much faster than was really necessary. Hopefully this would be it. Hopefully this would be done.

tbc…


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter Forty-Four:

Yami stood in front of the mirror, pulling on his suit jacket. He straightened it, then picked up the scarlet tie, winding it around his neck and started tying it in front.

"Yami, good luck on your interview."

Yami turned from the mirror, still tying the knot of the tie. Yugi was lying half off the couch, feet flat on the floor, his hands pressed against the small of his back. He was doing one of his exercises, pushing with his feet to lift his hips up and down, training the muscles of his legs.

Joey was sitting at the table, clearly trying not to stare. Yami was amused, cinching the tie around his neck.

"Thank you, Aibou."

Yugi finished the twenty-fifth push and sat up, pushing himself up properly on the couch. He smiled, looking Yami up and down. "That suits looks good. You'll get the job for sure."

Yami said nothing to that. He didn't know, really. He and Joey had been putting in applications constantly since they'd returned to Domino, but Yami's information was fake. If anyone took the time to do a background check, they'd find that out easily enough. Joey had had an interview the previous day, for a job at a men's clothing store, but he'd told them he doubted anything would come of it. Though his information was real, both of their resumes were sad; they'd agreed to not add the Fire Room. For Joey, that only left a handful of small jobs as a high-schooler such as his paper route. For Yami, that left nothing at all.

"I'll be back around lunch time," he said, putting his wallet into his inside pocket.

The both of them nodded. Yugi got to his feet and hugged Yami around the waist. /Good luck./

Joey got up and clapped Yami on the shoulder. "If you need a ride, just call."

Yami nodded and left the hotel room, heading down the stairs to the ground. Joey could have driven him to his interview, but he and Yugi were waiting on a call from the men's clothing store. Joey had to stay to answer the phone and Yugi was not yet cleared to drive. Dr. Ashford wanted Yugi to have at least one more check-up before he gave him medical clearance to try that. Yami hadn't learned how to drive either, so he was walking. It was a decent distance, but the weather was warm that day and he didn't mind.

He hadn't yet told Yugi or Joey that he was going to Hong Kong with Kaiba that afternoon. He knew that Joey would explode and that Yugi would be beside himself with worry. But he did know that he was going to have to tell them eventually. He couldn't just disappear on them.

Yami made it to his appointment in plenty of time and went through his interview. This one seemed to go much better than the one the day before and he left feeling a little more optimistic. It was a quarter past eleven, so he would make it back to the hotel in plenty of time to meet Kaiba. He should use this time to think of how he was going to explain to his friends that he was leaving for a potentially dangerous task. Nevertheless, he would go. They would try to talk him out of it, but he knew he wouldn't listen. This was going on for far too long and if Takanawa had indeed threatened Yugi outright to Kaiba, then his decision was decided for him. If only Kaiba had a bead on the man himself. Yami would dearly love to play an actual Penalty Game with the man. Not just for Yugi's safety, but for the sake of those two innocent little girls Takanawa had killed. Someone had to find justice for them.

"Hey, Moto!"

Yami paused, not because he was answering to the name, but because he knew whoever had called him thought he was Yugi. He turned around, opening his mouth to answer, and stopped.

The men standing about a dozen yards behind him were the same two men of Kato's from the Fire Room. Without even thinking about it, Yami turned and bolted. He would have stood and fought, except he didn't have his Puzzle. He'd reluctantly left it back at the hotel room because the day before, his appearance had clearly been a factor with his interviewer. Upon entering the room, he'd noticed the interviewer's eyes traveling over them, her face going stonelike as she fought to keep a fake smile on her face, and her eyes had lingered most on the Puzzle. This time he'd attempted to get around that by wearing the suit from the museum gala and leaving the Puzzle with his friends. Now he wished he'd just tested Fate the other way and gone as himself.

"Stop!" one of the men shouted as they gave chase.

Yami sprinted down the street and around the nearest corner, racing up the sidewalk of one of Domino's business blocks, dodging people left and right. He dashed across the street at one point, ignoring the frantic horn of the delivery truck he ran in front of and raced around another corner. He was looking over his shoulder again at this point and crashed headlong into someone.

Hands grabbed his shoulders, but before he could do much more than gasp and try to backpedal, a very familiar voice reached his ears.

"Whoa, Shadow Flare, where's the fire?"

It was Sentoryou. The older man let him go and looked at him in concern. He was standing next to the sleek white limo Yami had seen before. Struggling for breath, Yami managed to get out, "Being...chased."

Sentoryou's eyes darkened and he suddenly grabbed the handle of the back door, pushing Yami forward. "Get in," he hissed. "I'll hide you."

Yami hesitated for just a second before sliding into the limo's backseat. Sentoryou shut the door again and turned towards the building fronts, just as the two men who'd been chasing Yami rounded the corner. They both stopped, eyeing Sentoryou while at the same time scanning the area. Yami crouched down on the floor, peering over the edge of the door window. He knew that the limo's tinted glass would hide him from view unless the men pressed their faces to the glass.

"Hey," one of the two finally said to Sentoryou, who had started across the sidewalk as if he was intent on entering the business there. "You see a kid going running by?"

Sentoryou blinked at them politely. "You mean a young man with spiky hair? Why?"

The two men were smarter than Yami had thought. The one who had spoken raised up a wallet, not his, and held it out. "Kid dropped his wallet in his hurry. We were trying to give it back to him."

"Why, yes, he ran right past me, gentlemen. That way." Sentoryou pointed on down the sidewalk. The two started on again. "I hope you find him!" Sentoryou called at their backs. "The world needs more good men like you!"

Sentoryou waited until the two goons had disappeared over a rise before turning back to the limo and opening the door. Yami started to get out, but Sentoryou slid inside the compartment and closed the door.

"Where do you want me to drop you off?" he asked. "It's not smart to put you on the street while they're still hanging around."

Yami hesitated again as the limo pulled away from the curb, the silent driver not turning his head from where he was sitting up front. Yami stared at Sentoryou, at a loss. After all he'd done to the man, why was he still helping him? Finally he gave the location of a cafe a block from the hotel he was staying at, but he had to know the answer to his question.

"Why are you--"

"Helping you?" Sentoryou asked. "I might be a bit annoyed with you, Shadow Flare, but I'm hardly the type to hand over someone to a couple of thugs. Did you steal their stuff, too?"

Yami flushed, though he thought he well deserved the barb. "No."

"Then...?"

"I don't know them." That was the truth, in a manner of speaking. But he figured he owed Sentoryou some real facts. "It might have something to do with Takanawa."

"Ah, I see."

"Sentoryou, you don't have to go through all of this trouble. I can walk--"

"It's no trouble, it's on the way to the airport anyway. I haven't seen you in quite some time, Shadow Flare. You seem to be quite the troublemaker."

Yami stared out of the back window, watching the buildings pass. Not so much troublemaker as trouble-magnet. "I am sorry for what happened to you, Sentoryou. It wasn't my intention."

"Yes, I know it was Seto Kaiba's idea."

Yami gasped and turned his head to look at him. Sentoryou looked back at him steadily. "H-How did you know?"

"I'm pretty smart, but more than that I have an excellent memory. I remembered that it was Kaiba who talked me into giving you my room key. He was the one who asked me about Takanawa. I'm sure he put you up to it; you didn't want to do it, that much was obvious."

Yami looked away again. He couldn't hardly stand the guilty feeling. Sentoryou fell silent and Yami was unbelievably glad when the limo turned into the parking lot of the cafe. He opened his passenger door, then turned to Sentoryou. The older man merely looked at him, mismatched eyes intense but face blank.

"You knew all this time, and you're not going to do anything about it?"

"Somehow I don't think you're a bad person, Shadow Flare. And I certainly don't want to see you in jail. I just hope you have a good reason for doing the things you do and I hope you're smart enough to realize you've got to be careful with the people you trust."

Yami slowly climbed out of the limo. He started to close the door, then stopped and looked inside.

"Sentoryou...thank you."

Sentoryou leaned forward and took the inside handle in his hand. He tilted his face up and met Yami's gaze once more.

"Anytime."

He pulled the door shut and Yami stood there, watching the limo pull away, turn around, and leave the parking lot. It turned right and headed down the street, disappearing around a corner. Yami stood where he was for a long moment before heading up the street to the hotel.

Because of the ride Sentoryou had given him, he'd gotten back fifteen minutes earlier than he would have walking. He entered the apartment room, loosening the tie. Yugi and Joey were still there, but Joey jumped up as soon as he entered the room and grabbed his hands, laughing.

"I got the job!"

Yami blinked in surprise. "That's great!"

"Yeah! How'd your interview go?"

"Fine."

Yugi grinned as he joined them. "We should go out and celebrate. It's lunchtime and I'm hungry. What do you want?"

Yami looked between them before forcing a smile. "Anything is fine. Just let me get changed."

He walked into the bedroom part of the suite and started getting changed. It was half past eleven, Kaiba would soon be on his way. What was he to do? Joey and Yugi were so happy right now that he hated to ruin their good moods. On the other hand, he'd nearly been attacked. He didn't know why it was Kato's men, but that spoke of something bad and Yami should at least let Kaiba know of the encounter.

He wondered what Kaiba would do if he just wasn't here when he came to get him. Would he just go on to Hong Kong himself? Yami wasn't sure how Kaiba would get Buck out of jail on his own, but he was very smart and headstrong. He'd think of something.

"You ready to go?" Joey asked as he walked back into the front room.

"Yes."

The phone abruptly rang. Joey grumbled a curse, but Yami held up his hand. "I'll get it. Go ahead and get the car ready."

He turned back into the room, leaving Joey to get the wheelchair for Yugi, who was standing at the railing, looking down. He was still upset that he had to use the wheelchair instead of the stairs, but he'd promised and Yugi kept promises. Yami went over and picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Um...is Joey there?"

Yami recognized Serenity from the time he'd been a part of Yugi. He'd never met the girl as his own person, so his voice was not familiar to her and she sounded confused.

"Yes, just a minute."

He set the phone down and walked through the still open-door to the walkway, where Joey was just unfolding the wheelchair. He looked surprised when Yami told him his sister was on the phone and he went into the room to answer it. Yugi got into the chair, then looked up at Yami.

"Is something wrong with Serenity?"

"She didn't say. Did Joey give her this phone number?"

"I guess. They're still close, especially after what happened with Marik."

They waited. Joey was on the phone for a good eight minutes before he came back out, rubbing the back of his head. Yugi looked up at him in concern, wheeling forward a little.

"Is something wrong, Joey?"

"Nah. That was Serenity." He looked like he'd been hit over the head. Yami and Yugi both stared at him, waiting, alarmed by the way he was blinking, looking at a loss.

"Um, Joey?" Yugi pressed. "What is it?"

Joey looked up. He cleared his throat, then ran his hand through his hair again.

"My mom's getting married."

"Oh," Yugi said. "Is...that good?"

"I don't know. I haven't really talked to my mom since she split. Just that one time at the hospital, when Serenity was going in for her eye surgery. I didn't even know she was seeing anybody. When Serenity and I talk, we don't talk about our parents. Anyway...the wedding's on Saturday." It was Thursday. Joey gave a strangled sort of chuckle. "Serenity says she just decided she wants me there."

"Are you going?" Yami asked.

Joey hesitated. "No."

"What? Joey, why not?" Yugi stood up. "I know you're mad at her...but she's your mother. Shouldn't you at least think about it?"

Joey scowled, moving over to lean back against the railing, folding his arms. "Look, Yug', she's my mother by blood only. I've seen her once since I was eight. She's been no mother to me. She left me with that bastard who happens to be my father and took my sister away from me. Why do I care if she goes and gets another man?"

Yami watched uncomfortably. He understood Joey's viewpoint, as little of the situation as he knew. Yugi, however, didn't seem to feel the same way.

"That's a horrible thing to say. She's still your mother and she's asking you to be there at her wedding! You should go." Yugi turned away, then suddenly turned back. "You never know when she's going to be gone."

Joey's mouth dropped open. Yugi went into the hotel room and into the bedroom, shutting the door. Joey looked at Yami.

"Fuck."

"Joey, Aibou will calm down. He didn't mean what he said."

"But he's right, Yami. Look at him, he's lost his entire family. I should've been more sensitive."

Yami tried his link with Yugi. //Aibou, please don't be mad at Joey. His family was never as close as yours. He didn't mean to upset you.//

/I know he didn't./ Yugi's mental voice was choked with tears. /I'm not mad at him. Tell him that, will you? I just... I don't want to go to lunch anymore, okay? Is that okay?/

//Aibou, of course that's okay.//

Yami looked up at Joey and relayed what Yugi had said. Joey sighed and pushed his hair off his forehead. He grabbed the wheelchair and folded it up jerkily before taking it into the hotel room. Yami went in with him, taking off his jacket. Joey walked across the room and over to the closed door. He sat down on the floor with his back against it, then rapped it lightly with his knuckles.

"Yugi, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Yugi said muffledly from inside.

"We still need to eat," Yami said. "You stay here with Yugi and I'll get some sandwiches down at the cafe."

Joey looked like he was going to argue, but then he nodded. Yami picked his coat back up and left the hotel room, heading down towards the cafe. He got some sandwiches for them and went right back. Neither journey brought any problems; Kato's men were probably still looking for him down in the business distrinct.

By the time he'd returned to the hotel room, Yugi had opened the bedroom door and he and Joey were sitting on one of the beds, talking quietly. They looked up as Yami set the bags of sandwiches down on the table and came out of the room. Yugi's eyes were a little red, but he smiled and thanked Yami, accepting his sandwich and sitting down on the couch.

"I'm going to the wedding," Joey told Yami as he unwrapped his own. "I've got to leave tonight at six, that's the only open flight left to Greece, where they're having the wedding."

"Greece, really?"

"Yeah, she always did want to go to Greece." Joey sighed and took a big bite of his sandwich, chewing before continuing. "I think she made it last minute on purpose, inviting me, 'cause she didn't think I'd go. Good thing I don't start at the clothing store 'til Monday. I'll be back on Sunday."

"Take Yugi with you," Yami said suddenly.

The opportunity had just presented itself. If Yugi and Joey left that evening to head to Greece and wouldn't be back until Sunday, he'd be able to go to Hong Kong with Kaiba and they'd never have to know. It was better if they didn't have to worry at all. Joey looked shocked, but Yami could see the idea appealed.

"What about you? You're welcome--"

"No. Thank you, Joey, but you know I can't. Robert will fire me--"

"So? Look it, you're not going to be dancing at that dive alone. No way. I know you can take care of yourself, but I still don't want you there all alone. Too many scumbags."

"Joey, I appreciate your concern, but we will not be able to live off the money you get from the clothing store. You're taking a pay cut and there are three of us here. Aibou will soon by cleared to get his own job, but until then, we will need all the money we can get. I can't just quit the Fire Room. For all of what we have to do there, it pays a lot of money."

Joey growled, but Yami knew he could see the truth.

"Take Aibou with you. He doesn't need to be here alone when I'm at work."

"Do you think I should? I mean, would see my family having a good time...?"

Yami understood what he was saying. He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. At least ask him."

Yugi was eating his sandwich on the couch, oblivious to what they were saying. They'd been talking in low voices on purpose, but he was watching them, looking anxious and wary. Joey smiled and set down the rest of his sandwich, walking over and sitting down beside him.

"What do you think, Yug'? Want to come with me?"

"Really? To Greece? Would I even be welcome?"

"Yeah, of course you will be. Serenity likes you a lot and you'll be my guest."

"Oh, but..." He looked up at Yami. "Are you going?"

"No, Aibou."

Yami walked over and sat down on Yugi's other side. They were snug, but none of them minded. He explained his reasoning to Yugi.

"But will you be safe?"

"Of course, I will. It is a degrading job, but it is not dangerous. We need the money and I can't just ask Robert for time off again. I have friends there to look out for me."

"Oh, yeah, Dana. Hell, any bottom-feeder that put his hand on you'd probably be better off if *I* got to him rather than her." Joey grinned. "Dana's one of the bartenders," he explained to Yugi. "Her brothers work there at the Fire Room and got her a job there, too. She thinks Yami's the hottest thing next to the sun and she'd defend him to the death."

They both grinned as Yami felt the heat rise in his cheeks. "She is fond of me, yes."

"Fond of you? She'd have you right there on the bar top if she could."

Yami took a bite of his sandwich and looked away, feeling the burn on his cheeks deepen as Yugi and Joey both laughed. They went back to their original conversation and with some persuading, Yugi agreed to go. He was probably more into going than he let on, he was just being thoughtful of Yami.

While they were talking, Yami glanced at the clock and saw that it was a few minutes before noon. He got up and used the excuse of taking the next couple days' worth of rent down to the front office to leave the room. He'd intercept Kaiba and tell him what was going on.

"We still need to get ourselves a real apartment," Joey muttered as he wrote out the check.

"The lady at The Ridge told us she'd get back to us on Friday," Yami said.

"Yeah. All right, Yug', let's go ahead and get packed."

Yami took the check and headed down to the office down on the ground floor. The day manager looked up and smiled as he entered the office. She was a forty-something woman who was one of the friendliest people he'd ever met. Usually one or two of her five kids was with her in the office but at this moment she was alone.

"Hi, Yami," she said cheerfully. "You three boys going to stay with us a little longer?"

"Yes."

She took the check from him and set it on the desk. "Oh, got a tip for you." She rifled through a few papers scattered on the desk, then picked up a piece of notepaper with handwriting on it and held it out. Yugi had told her at some point that they were looking for jobs and she'd promised she keep her ears open. "My cousin's opening a second shop. Think you might be interested?"

Yami took the slip of paper. "Which cousin is this?"

She laughed. She had a tendency to run at the mouth about her extensive family and she didn't seem surprised or hurt that he didn't remember. "Annie. She has that art store down in Osaka? She's opening another up here in Domino, right down on Hiro St. and she's looking for some new employees. I told her about you and she's interested in interviewing you, if you're interested."

"Yes, thank you. When?"

"Oh, she won't have it open until the twelfth, a grand Saturday-morning opening. How about I tell her to give you a call to set up an appointment?"

"That sounds great. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Oh!" She suddenly looked pasted him out the big picture window. "Is that Kaiba?"

Yami turned around. Sure enough, Kaiba's limo had pulled up at the hotel building adjacent to the office and he was getting out. Yami paused long enough to smile at the manager before saying goodbye and leaving the office. Kaiba saw him coming and he paused.

"Are you ready?"

"No." He overrode Kaiba's protest and explained. "You can wait that long."

Kaiba glared at him. "You're not going to duck out?"

"No. I gave you my word, Kaiba. I'll help you. Just wait until Joey and Aibou are gone and I'll go with you to Hong Kong."

tbc…


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter Forty-Five:

Seto was beginning to lose his patience. It was a quarter of six and he was on his way back to the Motorside Hotel. It wasn't six yet, but if Joey and Yugi were supposed to be on a plane, they'd already be long gone. He just hoped that Yami was going to be there when he arrived so that he didn't have to wait any longer.

He'd grudgingly agreed to wait until six so he didn't push Yami too much. He'd gone over and over in his head how he could pull this off without that accursed magick, but he hadn't come up with anything. If it were a regular theft, he might have been able to. He would have been able to override any security system and he could pick a lock if he needed to, it was just simple tinkering with the lock mechanism, any fool could do that. But this was a police station in an unfriendly country. There would never be a time when the building was empty of officers, the security systems would be top-notch, and the inmates themselves would be no help. Even if he managed to sneak his way down to the holding cells, they'd probably be shouting for him to let them out, too, which would alert the officers.

He wouldn't be able to use his money either. China and Japan had never been on friendly terms and having a Japanese national kill a Chinese national would be big news over there. They'd ask for more money than he'd ever agree to giving to release that bastard and then might even backstab him.

Yami was his only bet. Damn him.

He pulled up to the hotel and got out of the limo. Yami was standing against one of the support posts, arms folded over his chest, a small black bag at his feet. He opened his eyes and walked away from the pole, reaching down to pick up the bag and walk over towards him. It looked like an overnight bag, but he didn't contradict that. He had his own overnight in the trunk, just in case.

"Are you finally ready or do you some more time to tiptoe around reality?"

Yami's eyes narrowed but he walked around Seto and climbed into the limo. Seto got in after him and told the driver to head for the airport. His personal jet was out of the question to fly into Chinese airspace so he'd booked a flight on a regular airline.

The ride to the airport was a long and silent one. Yami and Seto sat in the back compartment without looking at each other, Yami staring out of the window and Seto reading a report he'd printed to take with him. Once at the airport, they suffered through security and finally were boarded into the first class section of the plane. Yami settled in the seat closest to the window and went back to watching the outside world. Seto reluctantly sat down in the aisle seat next to him and went back to reading his report.

A half hour later the plane rolled down the runway and took off. The flight was approximated at three-and-a-half hour one and he was finished with his report in fifteen minutes. Sometimes being a warp-speed reader was not a good thing. He set his report down into his briefcase, snapped it shut, and set it at his feet with a sigh.

Yami turned to look at him. "Something wrong?"

"No."

"Can I get you anything?" a flight attendant asked, smiling down at them. "Peanuts, a meal, a drink?"

"Some wine would be nice," Yami said.

The flight attendant was gone only a few seconds before she came back, holding a wine bottle and two glasses in her hands, even though Seto hadn't ordered anything. She poured the glasses full and set them down with obvious familiarity handling objects on a plane. Smiling, she took the rest of the bottle with her and went on up the aisle.

Yami picked up his glass and took a drink. Seto picked up his own, looking over at him. "Getting started early?"

Yami snorted and looked back at him. "You're not refusing your own. Besides, I like wine, remember?"

He seemed to realize as soon as the words were out of his mouth what insinuation that made; all the wine they'd drunk right before ravaging each other at the cabin. His eyes widened and he suddenly jerked his head around to look out the window again. Seto slumped in his seat and closed his eyes.

He could get through this. He could get through this, get Buck out, kill Takanawa, and be done completely with Yami for once and for all.

Seto opened his eyes and took a drink of his wine. Nevermind what it meant, he was going to need the fortification right now.

The plane ride finally ended and Seto was relieved to get off of it, though it meant going through Chinese customs. The Chinese security officials took their sweet time X-raying their luggage, running their metal-detecting wands over them, and checking over their passports, but finally they were cleared.

"What is your plan for this?" Yami asked as they left the airport and stood on the sidewalk.

"Thanks to your set-back, it's eleven-thirty at night. I don't know whether security would be better or worse at night, so I'm not sure when we're going to the prison. At the very least, we'll have to get directions."

"I guess we can get a taxi," Yami said.

Seto grumbled. He'd already exchanged for Chinese currency, so that wouldn't be a problem. He signalled for one of the cabs on the street before the airport and they got into one. Seto knew just enough Chinese to ask for the precinct. If he decided not to do it tonight, there would be a hotel to stay at some place.

Unfortunately, he hadn't realized just how packed Hong Kong was. Despite the numbers on any report of population, one could not understand the amount of people until there. The taxi crawled along the street at a maddening pace.

Both of them were feeling the tension. Finally Yami turned to him. "Are we doing this tonight or not?"

"I don't know," Seto snapped. "You know what? You're the one running into a jail to put the magick whammy on police and inmates. Why don't you decide when you want to do it?"

Yami stared at him for a minute. Finally he said, "Even with my magick, it would be a better idea to get a lay of the place. Which I'm sure we won't be able to do until visiting hours."

"Fine."

In a way, it made sense. Doing it at night might have less people there, but the security would be higher, the jail cells perhaps equipped with alarms. Even invisible, Yami wouldn't be able to get away from setting off those alarms and having officers all over the precinct. He wouldn't be able to get Buck out.

The taxi driver dropped them off and Seto paid him. The precinct was a two story, grey stone building; every light but the one in the front office was turned off. A single officer sat at the front desk, typing away on a computer. Even as Seto watched, a second officer walked in, handing him a piece of paper and saying something.

"Come on, there's a hotel down there," he said, pointing and starting to walk down the sidewalk.

"How do you know?" Yami asked. "Can you read the writing?"

"Enough of it."

The receptionist at the desk was an old, touchy man who seemed reluctant to give them a room. Finally he handed out a key.

"No, two," Seto said. Had he forgotten the right word? "Two."

"One," the old man snapped. "You get one. Take it or leave it." His smile was not a nice one. "No others open."

Seto growled and pulled the key out of his hand. He turned away and stalked out of the office, Yami following after him. They got on the elevator and Seto punched the 5th floor button angrily.

"What's wrong?" Yami asked.

Without looking at him, Seto said, "We're going to have to share a room. He wouldn't give us two."

He didn't have to turn his head to know that Yami was just as upset by that as he was. Maybe they should rethink trying to bust Buck out that night. But he knew they couldn't do that. The jail would be on lockdown and while he didn't know exactly what Yami's powers included, he doubted that phasing through metal was one of them.

The room was a small, plain one, but thank goodness it had two single beds. The walls were grey with none of the customary prints on the walls. There was a single, three-drawer chest across the room from the two beds. One door led to a tiny bathroom with no shower and the second was a closet smaller than a porta-potty. A single tiny window looked out into a brick wall.

"Oh, gods," Seto muttered.

Yami sighed and walked into the room, setting down his night bag and flopping down on the bed nearest the door with his legs hanging over the side. He put his hands over his eyes. Seto reluctantly walked over to the other bed and sat down on the edge of it, setting his bag and briefcase down on the floor.

"Buck better kill Takanawa, because at this point he's likely to do it more humanely than I am."

"I don't understand how you cannot find him, with all at your disposal."

Seto growled in irritation. "Why don't you throw a bunch of chicken bones on the floor and divine it?"

Yami lowered his hands and glared at him. Seto glared back, then they both looked away. Yami pushed himself up and got to his feet, grabbing his bag and walking into the bathroom, shutting the door. After a couple of minutes he came back out, dressed in a pair of pure black pajamas. Seto got up to do the same, changing into his own blue ones. When he got back out, Yami was already under the covers of his bed, facing the wall. Pleased he didn't have to say anything else to him, Seto got into his own bed and turned off the lights.

******

The next morning they got up and washed up in the bathroom before checking out of the hotel. Seto managed to find a restaurant and they got some breakfast, foreign as it was. Once they had eaten, they returned to the pricinct and went inside. The officer at the front desk, a different one from last night, looked up at them with clear suspicion.

"We're looking for Buck Hoshi."

The officer looked at them both, then glanced at his computer. He tapped a few keys, then looked up at them with a mean smile.

"Can't help you."

Seto tried to keep his temper. This officer was just being an asshole to be an asshole. "It's important."

"Hoshi's not here."

Seto groaned, shifted from foot to foot. "Where is he, then?"

"Hoshi's been transported to Xinhua Penitentiary on east and Twelfth."

The officer turned back to his computer and Seto sighed, turning to Yami. "Buck's at another place. Let's go."

Yami sighed and followed him out into the Hong Kong day. There were hundreds of people milling around and Seto was beginning to think they were going to have to walk to wherever east and Twelfth were. Growling, he started down the sidewalk, Yami on his heels. Hong Kong seemed to be like New York and Tokyo; there was little reason for cars. Even the taxis were few and far between.

The street sign they passed listed the cross street as Ninety-Eighth. He cursed. Even if the streets didn't go straight down in numeric order, it was going to take a long time to walk. He stopped and started flagging down the taxis. At last one pulled over and they got in.

Seto gave the address and finally they were at Xinhua Penitentiary just after noon. The cab pulled over and they got out. The penitentiary was set on an acre of property, surrounded by a twenty-foot high fence topped by barbed wire. The building itself was a three-story brick with bars on every window but two each on either side of the front doors.

The security guards looked at them suspiciously when they approached. Seto told them he needed to see Buck, pretending to be a friend of Buck's father, that he had made a promise to talk to Buck and get him a good lawyer. To his relief, they bought it and he and Yami were led up to the main building.

They signed in and were led to the waiting cell. An officer stood there with them at every time, so Yami stood up and asked to use the restroom.

Seto sat there in the cell alone and before long Buck himself was led into the cell by a pair of armed officers. His hands were chained together in front of him as well as being chained to a belt around his waist above his prison-issue jumper. He looked at Seto in surprise and doubt as he sat down.

"What the hell?"

"Takanawa sent me to get you."

"Yeah? How do you plan on doing that?"

The guards suddenly fell over. Buck gasped in surprise and got to his feet. Seto merely watched as Yami wandered around the corner, another guard at his side. The guard had a blank look on his face and he opened up the cell door without a word. Under Yami's influence no doubt. In fact, Seto could now see the Rod in his right hand, the Ring and the Puzzle both around his neck where the Puzzle had been alone before. Buck watched with his mouth open as Yami stepped inside.

"Let's go."

"What the hell?"

"Are you going to argue?" Seto demanded.

The guard walked over and unlocked Buck's ankles, then his handcuffs. Buck grinned and punched the officer in the face, who fell back against the bars and slid down without a sound. Yami sighed and folded his arms.

"That's not a good idea. Come with us, quietly, or we'll shout the alarm and they'll probably shoot you on sight."

"Yeah, yeah. Pity for you--"

Buck stopped right there and went blank. He walked over to the guard he'd punched and started undressing him. In a couple of moments he was dressed in a white undershirt and the cop's pants, giving him different clothes without drawing attention by including the police shirt. One of the other two guards that had passed out suddenly got to his feet.

The hypnotized guard led them through the open cell door and down the hall. A couple of people passing by didn't give them the slightest glance. Yami had his talents, that was for sure.

"What do you suppose we should do?" Yami asked as they walked.

Seto noted that his voice was strained. He supposed hypnotizing several people at once was tough. They made it to the front office and not a single one of the people there gave them any trouble. This was easier than Seto had expected.

"We're going back to Japan of course." Seto glanced over at him as they walked down the sidewalk. "Can you keep Buck under your control indefinitely?"

"I suppose so. I have never tried. Why?"

"Because that would work so much better than relying on Buck to go to Takanawa and kill him. You send him there under your spell and just make him do it."

"I could do that, but there's a problem. The Millennium Rod is not mine. It doesn't work for me as well as it would its rightful owner." He didn't say that was supposed to be Seto, for which he was glad. "So it's difficult to use its powers. I wouldn't be able to do it from a distance."

"Then just follow Buck--"

"I have to be back by Sunday. That's when--"

"Do you realize how important this is? This could be the end of it!"

"I know that. But I am rearranging my life to bail you out of trouble. And don't say anything about the money, because that's no longer the issue. You're not paying me anymore. I--"

He suddenly stopped and froze up. Seto followed his gaze and frowned. The man coming towards them looked vaguely familiar. Where had he seen him before?

"Buck? Kid, is that you?"

Either the mention of his name snapped him out of it or Yami was so shocked he lost control. In either case, Buck suddenly shook his head as if clearing it from a daydream and then looked up in surprise. He looked around dazedly for a second, clearly wondering what he was doing outside, before focusing on the man resting his hands on his shoulders and asking if he was okay.

"Uncle Sen, what are you doing here?"

tbc…


	46. Chapter 46

Chapter Forty-Six:

Yami froze up in shock. Sentoryou had just come towards them down the sidewalk. He'd totally forgotten that Sentoryou was Buck's uncle. Even so, why was he here?

His surprise made him lose control of Buck and the man shifted, coming out from under the magick. He blinked and shook his head before looking up at Sentoryou. The older man had come right up, resting his hands on his shoulders and questioning if he was okay.

"Uncle, Sen, what are you doing here?"

"Did you think I would let my sister's boy rot in Chinese jail? Come now, I came to get you out. Although it looks as if someone beat me to that."

His eyes went to Yami and his brow furrowed. Buck turned around and then his eyes widened. He suddenly grinned. "Well, I don't know how you did that, but thanks for your help. Takanawa'll want to thank you, too."

He lunged forward. Yami tried to twist away, but Buck's hand grabbed the Ring and Yami was yanked back, strangling. Sentoryou gave a startled shout and Yami reached up to grab the thong of the Ring, trying to pull it out of Buck's grip. It was Kaiba who came to his rescue; he drew back his fist and punched Buck in the nose. The man clutched his nose with both hands, releasing the Ring.

Gasping for breath, Yami held his burning throat. Buck cursed loudly and reached for Kaiba with hands bloody from his nose. Yami swung the Millennium Rod and struck Buck in the shoulder. One of the wings tore open his shirt and opened a long scratch in his arm. He cursed again, jerking back. He nearly crashed into Sentoryou, who tried to support him.

This was getting out of hand. Yami would just have to hypnotize them both and take them both with them. He tightened his hand on the Rod and concentrated, narrowing his eyes at both of them. Buck's shoulders slumped and he stopped in the middle of coming at them again.

"Good," Kaiba said. "Getting him out of that jail was a lot easier than you made it sound like it was going to be for you. Now we can just take the both of them with us back to Japan."

But Yami could see something was wrong. Sentoryou's eyes were still sharp and he was looking at his nephew in concern. "Buck? What's wrong?"

Yami gasped, then seized Kaiba's wrist and hauled on him, trying to pull him with him down the street. Sentoryou turned to look at them, frowning.

"What did you do to him?"

Yami pulled on Kaiba's arm. The brunette resisted, frowning down at him. He didn't get it, what was happening.

"What are you doing? Take him over, too."

"I can't!" Yami hissed. "Kaiba, he's immune!"

Sentoryou was shaking Buck now, though he was looking at Yami and Kaiba around his arm, his eyes suspicious. Buck suddenly shook himself out of it as Yami's tenuous hold broke under Sentoryou's shaking. Kaiba stopped resisting as Buck looked around, spied them, and lunged. Kaiba shoved him back.

By now a large crowd was watching the events, looking bewildered and concerned. Several were shouting rapidly, but Yami didn't understand Chinese. Still, it only took the sound of sirens to give him a clue as to what they were saying. Kaiba cursed and started running with him and the two of them plunged down the street, dodging between people as they tried to get out of the way. A woman screamed and more frantic yelling started.

Yami ducked down an alley, pulling Kaiba along with him. They ran around a dumpster and out the other side onto a parallel street. They slowed down to gain less attention, walking quickly down the crowded sidewalk.

"He was immune?" Kaiba demanded as they went across the street at the crosswalk.

"Yes."

"How is that possible?"

"You, me, Aibou, and Joey are immune, too. A strong, disciplined mind cannot be controlled, not even with magick."

"Strong and disciplined? That should exclude--"

"Don't," Yami snapped. "I can make anyone see what is not really there or not see what is, but that is not the same as forcing them to do something they wouldn't normally. I can make Sentoryou think a giant snake is eating him but I wouldn't be able to make him stab himself in the heart with a knife. What are we going to do now?"

"We're not out yet. Buck you can control. No surprise. And we didn't do him any favors. Once those policemen there at the penitentiary realize that their guards have been knocked unconscious and stripped and Buck is gone, they're going to be pulling off a countrywide search for him. No way he's going to be able to get on a plane back to Japan."

"Yes, but--"

He broke off, then grabbed Kaiba's hand and yanked him into the alley they were just passing. Kaiba started to yell at him, but he pointed at the street with his other hand. A siren was wailing and a second later two police cars raced down the street, lights flashing and horns blaring to alert people they were coming. From the other direction came two police officers on foot, their eyes scanning the crowds as they walked. Yami and Kaiba moved back further into the alley. Unfortunately this one was a dead-end and if they were seen...

The officers went on past and the two of them relaxed. Yami turned to Kaiba and noticed he was looking down. He followed his gaze and realized with a start he was still holding Kaiba's hand. He released him quickly, feeling his cheeks burning and whipped around, walking back out of the alley, determinedly not looking at him again. Kaiba followed and they started down the sidewalk again, both edgily silent. Looking around for more officers coming gave them an opportunity to ignore each other but after they'd gone a couple more blocks without being noticed, Yami knew he had to continue the conversation.

"Buck is no longer an option, so--"

"I haven't given up on that," Kaiba answered. "Since we know he's going to be stuck here in China, at least for a little while--If that was his uncle, he'll probably try to figure out some way to get him out of trouble--if we know he's here, we can still try to buy him out."

Yami was silent. He didn't want to stay here in China any longer, but Kaiba had a point. Even if Sentoryou was too strong mentally to control with magick, Buck was not. If Yami could get to him again, he could force Buck to do as they wished. Or Kaiba could try to win his loyalty with the money. But the real problem was Sentoryou. He was likely to stay with his nephew, hiding him, and he would be suspicious if Yami and Kaiba showed up again. How to get around that obstacle?

"How do you propose we find them again?" Yami asked finally. "Sentoryou is probably even now attempting to hide Buck."

Kaiba said nothing and Yami could tell he was thinking. He was silent from the time they managed to gain a taxi all the long, slow, traffic-congested way back to the hotel they had previously stayed in. The room was still theirs and Kaiba renewed it for another night. Once they reentered it, he tossed his coat down on top of the dresser and went and got his laptop, setting it up on the foot of the bed and sitting cross-legged in front of it.

"What is Sento--" He glanced up. "Wait a minute, wasn't that the guy from the strip club?"

Yami sighed, sitting down on the edge of his own bed. "Yes, that was him. Did I never tell you he was Buck's uncle? That was why they were talking there at the Fire Room."

Kaiba frowned slightly, then returned to his laptop. "What's his full name, do you remember? I know he told me, but--"

"Sentoryou Oka. Why?"

Kaiba didn't answer, just started typing rapidly on his computer. Yami frowned and sat silently where he was until the constant clacking of the keys began to get on his nerves. After an hour of it, his stomach rumbled and that gave him an excuse to get away. He got up and went over to Kaiba's trench coat, pulling the wallet he knew was in the inside pocket out.

"What are you doing?" Kaiba demanded as the typing stopped.

"I'm hungry. It's almost six and we haven't eaten since this morning."

"So you just thought you'd rob me?"

Yami pulled a few Chinese notes out of the wallet and glanced over at him. "I'll bring something back. You were so absorbed I didn't even think you'd notice."

Kaiba got up from his bed and stalked over, yanking the wallet out of Yami's hand. "Well, I did notice. Stay out of my stuff."

Yami looked at him patiently. "What do you want to eat?"

"Please, you don't even know how to read Chinese. You'd probably end up ordering sheep brains or something."

"I don't think the Chinese eat sheep brains, Kaiba."

Kaiba growled and grabbed his wrist, pulling the notes out of his hand. He shoved his arm back at him and grabbed his coat, pulling it on. "Stay here and try not to get into trouble."

Yami scowled as he watched Kaiba stalk out of the hotel room and shut the door. As much as he hated to admit it, it was probably best if Kaiba went to get the food. Yami did not know any Chinese and he was likely to get lost. And though Kaiba was tall and blue-eyed, he would blend in better than Yami would himself.

He walked over and looked at the laptop still sitting open on the end of the bed. Kaiba had a word processor open and Yami saw that he had several written addresses on the page: Takanawa's, Kato's, and Sentoryou's. Takanawa's and Kato's addresses were no longer valid, but Sentoryou's must be. That must have been why he'd asked for Sentoryou's full name, so he could find out where he lived.

Yami looked at that entry with a chill. What was he planning on doing now?

Kaiba took a long time to get back. Yami washed his face and hands in the sink and then finally went back to the open computer. He knew enough of computers thanks to Yugi to minimize the word processor and find the games section inherent to the programming. He selected a Solitaire program and amused himself for a while with one of the games before moving on down the list. He saw with surprise that Kaiba had a Duel Monsters program on there and he clicked on it, finding the screen filled with a picture of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, the Dark Magician, and the Red-Eyes Black Dragon surrounding the words Duel Monsters. At the bottom was a small space asking the player to enter their name. He studied the screen for a minute, particularly the Red-Eyes. If Kaiba hated Joey so much, why had he included his favorite monster as part of the emblem for this game? He supposed it had less to do with the Dragon being Joey's favorite than the fact that the card was rare and powerful. He now noted that in miniature in the background behind the emblem was a computer wallpaper of Kuribohs, faeries, Harpie Ladies, and other Duel Monsters.

He entered his name into the space and clicked the enter button. He realized with surprise that the game was set up the like the four-way duel they'd fought in the Kaiba Corp. Island tower. This must be a new project Kaiba was working on for his company.

The computer was playing the other three duelists simultaneously, which had no names, only numbers. The screen went dark and the computer prompted him to choose cards for his deck. He went through the menu and selected most of the cards that were in Yugi's real-life deck as well as a few others to make it his own. Once he was finished, the computer started the duel.

Yami waited until the other three 'duelists' had made their first moves before making his own. Soon he was lost in the game.

tbc…


	47. Chapter 47

Chapter Forty-Seven:

Seto stalked down the sidewalk in a temper, pushing past the throngs of people that still littered the street. Who did Yami think he was taking money out of his wallet?

Still, there were definitely other things to be concerned with. So much for things going so easily. There must be a jinx on them. Yami could control Buck and if he did that, then they could use him the way they wanted to. Sentoryou was the bug in the works, though. If Yami could not control his mind, then they would have to find a way to get Buck away from him.

He'd asked Yami for Sentoryou's full name in order to find his address. If Sentoryou managed to get Buck out of China before they could get to him again, then it was likely that he would take him home with him. He'd go to Sentoryou's residence to find him. If he wasn't there, then maybe Yami could use Sentoryou's feelings for him.

Not that he would be willing to do that. Seto would have to find a way to make him do what he wanted again, like he had in lying that Takanawa knew about Yugi.

It took a while, almost forty-five minutes of searching, but he finally managed to find a stand selling food. After that he had to wait in line. Gods, he couldn't wait to get back to Domino.

He ordered a few boxes of take-out and plastic bottles of soda and started back for the hotel. Once he was there, he entered the room, to find Yami on his computer.

"What the hell?!" Seto roared, setting the boxes and bottles down on the dresser.

Yami looked up from where he was sitting. "What?"

"What? You're on my damn computer, that's what!"

He walked over and snapped the computer shut; Yami had to jerk his hands back to avoid having his fingers crushed. He glared up at him as Seto picked up the computer and put it back into his briefcase. He straightened up.

"And get off my bed."

He grabbed Yami's wrist and pulled him roughly off the bed, pushing him towards his own. Yami hit the edge and fell down on it then sprang up again, growling.

"Don't shove me!"

"I told you to stay out of my stuff. I know back in Egypt everything belonged to you, but you're not Pharaoh anymore, so remember that possession is nine-tenths of the law. I don't go rummaging through your belongings."

"Sorry," Yami said grudgingly.

Seto snorted at him, grabbing one of the boxes of take-out and shoving it into Yami's chest. He took a different one and sat down on the edge of his bed, opening it. Yami settled down on his own bed and opened his box, picking up the cellophane-wrapped pair of chopsticks attached to the side of the box and opening them. He looked down into the box.

"What is this?"

"Wheat noodles, snow peas, and calamari."

Yami looked up and made a face. Seto rolled his eyes and grabbed the little metal handle of the box, pulling it back before handing him the third one. "Pork and vegetables."

Yami accepted it and started eating. Seto opened his own pair of chopsticks and started eating from his own box. Yami waved his chopsticks at it.

"What's that?"

Seto sighed, looking up at him. "It's fried fish and egg noodles. Now shut up and eat."

Yami frowned and turned back to his box. Seto shifted to rest his back against the wall, eating as much as he wanted of the fish and noodles before folding the flaps back on the box and balancing it on the bed before taking up the calamari one Yami had not wanted. He opened it and ate it was well. After Yami finished off the vegetables and pork, he leaned over and snagged the handle of the fish and finished it off. Once he was done, he got up and took the empty box from Seto, throwing the three of them away in the little refuse pail beside the dresser.

He picked up the bottles of soda and came back, sitting down on the edge of his bed and holding one of them out to Seto. He took it and sighed.

"We'll stay here the night and then return to Japan tomorrow. Forget running after Buck here in Hong Kong, it's too big. You think Sentoryou will sneak him back home?"

"I don't know what Sentoryou would do. But I suppose that would make sense. If he can."

Seto took a drink from his soda bottle. Yami looked over at him.

"I saw that you got Sentoryou's address off your computer."

"Yes. I saw one before, when I stole his computer, and thought I'd recheck it before doing anything. Can't afford any more mistakes. Good thing I did. The address on Shikoku Island is only one of his properties, near his company's base of operations, his other home is actually in Domino."

"Leave him alone."

Seto looked back at him incredulously. "He might be our only lead now. Don't tell me you've got a crush on him."

Yami's eyes narrowed. "No, but he did save my life."

"How?"

"I was going to tell you before." And then Yami launched into a story about being chased by the same men who had tried to capture them at the Fire Room. "What do you make of that?"

This was a bad development. Why would Kato's men still be after Yami if their boss was dead? There were a lot of possibilities: they were seeking revenge, they were working for Takanawa now, Kato wasn't really dead. Or possibly they had just happened to see Yami and wanted to get back at him for knocking them out, even if they didn't know how he'd done it.

Damn it, yet another thing to worry about.

"I don't know," Seto said finally. "I still believe Takanawa is the heart of all of this. Forget about feeling you owe Sentoryou something. I don't plan on hurting him, he's just a way to get to Buck and therefore to Takanawa."

"If you're planning on having me attempt to distract Sentoryou again, you had best think of another plan immediately," Yami said warningly. "For all I did to him he still chose to help me. I do owe him. I owe him not to toy with him like that again."

Seto rolled his eyes again. Didn't he realize you used people however you saw fit to get what you wanted? Didn't he realize that was precisely what Seto was doing to him all this time?

"I'll do what I have to when it comes time," he said.

Yami growled, then stood up and went over to his bag. Seto got to his feet and went into the bathroom to wash his hands and face after the meal. He was looking forward to returning home, this place was a nightmare. And it didn't help that Yami was there with him. Being stuck inside with him was not a good idea and it certainly brought back memories he'd rather just forget.

He returned to the room just as Yami was pulling on his jacket. He raised an eyebrow and folded his arms, leaning against the corner of the bathroom alcove, watching him.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"It's is only eight-thirty," Yami said, picking up the hotel room key. "I'm not going to stay cooped up in this little room all night."

"Did it occur to you that it's possible the police will remember our visit and who we were going to see before Buck escaped?"

"Yes, but it occurred to me back at the jail. Not a single person there remembers you or I ever having come to the jail." Yami raised the Ring up. "As much as I'm sure you'd like to believe otherwise, Kaiba, I am not stupid."

Seto was reluctantly impressed. He himself hadn't thought of erasing their memories. In his magick-free world, they would have had to sign in their names, walk past people, and sign out.

"Wait a minute. I signed the registrar."

"You mean this?"

Yami reached into his pocket and withdrew a crumpled piece of paper. He unfolded it to reveal the top page of the police registrar book. He smirked, crumpled it back up, and threw it into the wastebasket.

"You'll get lost."

"Are you wanting me to stay?"

Seto gave him a look. "I just don't need to have to waste time searching for you in the heart of Hong Kong."

Yami settled the Rod on top of the dresser. "The Millennium Ring detects other Millennium Items. I'll leave this here and then I can't get lost."

Seto shrugged and turned away, letting Yami leave the hotel room. He went over to his briefcase and brought his laptop back out and opened it. After taking it off hibernation, he saw with irritation that Yami had been in his Duel Monsters computer program. That punk had some nerve.

Still, it would pass the time. He cut off the game Yami had been in the middle of and started a new one. Besides filling in the hours, it would be good to make sure there were no bugs in this new program. Kaiba Corp. was going to unveil it in a few months' time and he hadn't had any time to test it himself yet. He signed in under his own name, chose the cards for his deck, and started playing.

An hour or so later Yami came back. It was almost ten. Seto glanced up briefly as he entered the hotel room, setting the key down on the dresser. He took the Ring and the Puzzle up over his head and let them join the Rod and the room key. Seto frowned slightly as the scent of cigarettes wafted his way.

"Did you take up smoking?"

Yami laughed and took off his jacket, laying it across his bag on the floor. "No. I went to a bar."

"Why?"

"Because I was bored."

Seto watched as he walked over to the window and pushed open the bottom pane, letting in a cool breeze. It was scented with fried food and car exhaust, but it was refreshing. Yami stood there for a long moment, apparently enjoying it. After a bit he turned and went over to his bag, squatting down and beginning to paw through it. Seto couldn't distinguish any stumbling in his movements, so he doubted he was drunk.

Yami pulled his pajamas out of his bag and tossed them onto the foot of his bed, before coming over and peering over Seto's shoulder at the computer.

"I enjoyed that. The program is very challenging."

"Yeah, thanks for your input."

He signed out of the Duel Monsters program and got up, grabbing up his pajamas and going into the bathroom to change. He came out just as Yami was changing into his pajamas. He stared for a second as Yami lifted his top up over his head, back to him, before looking away quickly and going back into the bathroom before Yami realized he'd seen. He waited until it seemed like enough time had gone by before going cautiously back into the room.

Yami was now fully in his pajamas, sitting on the edge of the bed and drinking from his soda bottle. Seto got his own bottle and finished the last of it before throwing it away and going over to check that the door was locked; there was no pull-chain in this room. Yami was watching him move about from his bed.

"What are you staring at?"

"Nothing." Yami sighed and laid down on his bed, stretching for a minute before relaxing and looking up at the ceiling. "This situation has become a very stressful one, Kaiba. I hope it ends soon."

"No more than I do," Seto retorted. "Then I won't have to see you anymore."

Yami turned his head and looked at him again. "Yes, that would be good."

Seto pulled back the covers of his bed and crawled in, pulling them up to his waist.

"Stressful situation, huh. Well, at least it's good to know I'm a stronger person than you are."

Yami frowned at him. Seto grinned back provokingly. Getting him riled and in a snit sounded like a very good idea right then. He needed something to take his mind off the events in the cabin.

"What do you mean by that?"

Good, he'd taken the bait. "You're an alcoholic. It's really pretty sad to watch."

Yami sat up, giving him a deadly glare. "I am not an alcoholic."

Seto laughed derisively, settling back into his bed. "You were drunk twice when we were stealing things, you got wine on the plane, and you just came back from a bar that you went to because you were bored." Nevermind all he'd drunk there at the cabin. That went unsaid. "You're an alcoholic. You know, they say the first step to healing is admitting you have the problem."

Yami climbed out of bed and stood over him, folding his arms. "I drink alcohol, yes, but I am not drunk now. Where is your theory there?"

"You don't have to get drunk all the time to be an alcoholic."

"Will you just let it go? I know you're just being nasty just to do it because you're upset that you're making no progress in this and you're taking it out on me. You're angry because you need me to help you and you can't do it on your own."

Seto sat up and glared at him. "I told you not to say things like that to me."

Yami laughed at him. "Do you think you scare me? At the very least you wouldn't hurt me..." He leaned forward, smirking. "...*because* you need me."

tbc…


	48. Chapter 48

Chapter Forty-Eight:

Yami was getting very aggravated with Kaiba. He was being an insulting bastard again, but worse of all, he'd said something that Yami was beginning to fear was true. He was drinking a lot of alcohol. He'd stopped for a while, but...

"You know, it's you that's the reason I'm an alcoholic," Yami said, straightening up.

Kaiba frowned. "What does that mean?"

"I don't drink except when I'm with you. You're such a nasty, touchy, rude asshole that you drive me to it. I don't know how anyone could possibly stand to spend time with you without being drunk."

Kaiba's eyes narrowed and Yami smiled in triumph, hoping he'd hurt him for once. Kaiba threw his legs over the side of his bed and sat up on the edge. Yami didn't back up, standing there in front of him with his arms crossed over his chest.

"You've got some nerve pawning your problems off on me. Alcoholism is your problem, not mine. You've never been able to deal with anything. First you use that ridiculous Puzzle to hide behind your black magick--"

"That black magick is the only thing that's going to get you out trouble, not your machines and money."

Kaiba grabbed a handful of Yami's shirt. Yami was knocked off balance a little and grabbed Kaiba's shoulders to keep from falling into him. They glared at each other for a long moment. It was a tense moment, the both of them snarling in each other's faces, neither wanting to back down from this glower match. Yami's hands tightened on Kaiba's shirt, Kaiba's hand pulling harder on his pajama shirt. The moment went on.

"Let go," Yami said finally.

Neither actually did. Yami glared into Kaiba's brilliant blue eyes, the tension mounting. He was such a jerk. Kaiba was glaring back at him, the same emotions mirrored. Yami hadn't even realized he'd leaned forward until he felt Kaiba's breath on his skin.

Yami started when something threatening tingled across his awareness and he gasped, trying to straighten up. Kaiba's hand retained its firm grip on his shirt and he had to reach down and pull his wrist, ignoring that the V-neck collar was ripped open when he jerked away to hurry over to the Millennium Items on the dresser.

"What is it?" Kaiba demanded.

The door was kicked in just as Yami was reaching for his Puzzle. It was Buck, a long-muzzled gun held in his right hand. He raised it and aimed as Yami grabbed the thong of the Puzzle. A muffled phew! of the silenced gunshot reached his ears and he felt a terrible burning sensation across his left arm, the force spinning him and knocking him off his feet. He landed on his side, just as Kaiba slid off and onto the floor between the beds.

Yami glowered at Buck, gripping the Puzzle with his right hand and drawing the magick to him. Buck had started to walk into the room, a cruel smirk on his face.

"You're really easy to follow, and now--"

He broke off, eyes widening and going still, before he started to scream. The gun hit the carpet with a thud and Buck doubled up, clutching his head as Yami dragged him into a Penalty Game. The hotel room disappeared from his vision and he was standing in a circle of flames, Buck across from him, his head whipping back and forth as he looked around with frightened eyes.

"What the hell, where are we?" he demanded.

Yami slid the Puzzle around his neck and then folding his arms over his chest. He smiled wickedly at the cowering man.

"Welcome to a Dark Game," he said.

"G-Game?"

"Precisely." Yami waved his hand, setting the stage.

Above their heads, two dozen daggers formed, hanging in mid-air, point-down. The metal gleamed sinisterly and Buck looked up, eyes and mouth open in horror. He started to turn to run, but a pair of manacles materialized from the floor, snapping around his ankles, nearly knocking him off his feet. Yami didn't blink as an identical pair closed around his own ankles.

"What's going on?!" Buck yelped, windmilling his arms in an attempt to stay upright. His terror twisted the terrible scar on his face into something even more ghastly. "What is this, what's going on?"

"Calm down," Yami said. "You'll need your wits about you. Play the game and if you win, you'll be set free. All of this will disappear."

Buck turned his head to him, focusing his frightened brown eyes on him. He jerked skittishly as the final addition to their game appeared before them; a line of five Duel Monsters cards face-down on the ground between them.

"The rules are simple," Yami said, everything just occuring to him as he went, like all Penalty Games he'd ever designed. "These cards are going to flip face-up one at a time. Remember the pattern. When they all flip face-up, call out the pattern to move on. Miss, and you'll regret it. I'll go first."

The cards began to flip-up. The second one flipped twice. Yami watched them closely and when all five showed their faces, he called out the order. "Dark Magician, Kuriboh, Kuriboh, Summoned Skull, Celtic Guardian." Curse of Dragon had not been used.

The cards flipped back over and gleamed briefly. Yami raised his eyes to Buck, who was looking at him with the same open-mouthed look on his face. Yami gestured towards the line of cards.

"It's beginning. Watch."

Buck looked down. The cards flipped: Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Kaiser Seahorse, Gyakutenno Megami, Lord of Dragon, and Vorse Raider.

"Hurry up," Yami said with a grin.

A strange sensation suddenly came to his feet, but he ignored it, concentrating on the game. If he missed, he was in trouble. A few seconds later, another sensation, like something draping over his shoulders. He brushed at his arms in distraction, but quickly returned to the Game as Buck began to shout.

"I don't know what the hell those things are! I don't play that stupid game."

"Then just call them by number order. Left is one, then two, and so on."

Buck looked down at the cards, breathing noisily through his nose, clearly frightened. "Uh, uh...two, four, five--"

"Wrong."

One of the daggers above them dropped from its invisible mooring. It slid over Buck's body as if borne on a current, before slamming into his left foot. Buck shrieked, falling down to his knees. He reached for the dagger.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Buck ignored him, grabbing the handle of the dagger. The blade blazed red-hot and a fresh howl escaped him as the metal began burning him. He let go of the hilt automatically and the metal immediately cooled again. Buck looked up at Yami with eyes watering with pain. Yami looked back down at him pitilessly.

"I warned you. Now it's my turn again."

The cards gleamed again as they changed their faces once more. They began to flip and Yami watched the pattern. "Red-Eyes Black Dragon, Axe Raider, Gearifried, Swordsman of Landstar, and Scapegoat."

The cards flipped over again and glistened. Buck was still kneeling down, his hands holding his shin above the dagger, though he was clearly smart enough to know not to touch it again. Yami gestured towards him.

"It's going to go again. You'd better stand up so you can see."

Buck got to his feet, trembling and wincing terribly, and looked down at the cards. They flipped, all Dragons from Yugi's deck, Joey's, and Kaiba's.

"Uh...one, one, one, two, four."

"Good job," Yami said.

The cards reset and started again. Now they were all magick and trap cards. "Spelling-Binding Circle, Book of Secret Arts, Ring of Defense, Graceful Charity, Copycat."

Buck went again. He missed and a second dagger dropped from the ceiling and slammed into the middle of his shin. He screamed, falling to his right knee again, his hands hovering over his twice-stabbed leg. He looked up, tears of pain streaming down his scarred cheeks.

"You're cheating! You bastard!"

"I am not--"

Suddenly something tight closed around his right arm. It squeezed painfully tight and Yami gasped. Everything, the flames, the daggers, the cards, disappeared from his vision in a blaze of color, falling to pieces like shattered mirror. Yami was dragged back to reality, looking up dazedly to find Kaiba kneeling beside him. It was he who had gripped his arm, pulling him out of the Shadow Realm.

"Let's go!"

He pulled Yami roughly up to his feet. Buck lay crumpled by the foot of the bed, whimpering piteously. Yami saw that his feet were shod with his shoes; that had been the strange sensation while he was in the Game, Kaiba had shoved his shoes on. His jacket was resting over his shoulders like a cape. Kaiba, he saw, was wearing his own shoes and his jacket on over his pajamas. The handles of both bags and his briefcase hung from his left hand.

Kaiba began dragging Yami towards the kicked-in door. Yami reached up with his free hand to keep his coat from sliding off his shoulders to the floor, having to carry it. Buck gave a low groan and shuddered where he lay.

"Wait, I didn't finish it!"

Kaiba was pulling Yami roughly down the hall. A crowd of people, drawn by the commotion, stood in the hall or leaned out of doors. They started scattering as Yami and Kaiba came running down the hall.

"He'll wake up!"

"Be my guest to go back and finish, but you can go to jail with him."

Yami realized he could hear sirens now. He stopped resisting and pelted down the hall behind Kaiba, heading for the stairwell at the far end. People were still dispersing, some screaming, chattering in Cantonese.

One person stood out from the crowd by his height and coloring. Yami gasped and stopped just before running into Sentoryou, who reached out and grabbed both of his upper arms.

"Stop!" Sentoryou shouted. "Shadow Flare, you aren't--"

Yami couldn't believe it. He just stood there, staring at Sentoryou in surprise and horror. He'd really, truly believed he was a good man cursed with a terrible nephew. But now that he was standing here, restraining him from running, accompanying his nephew in an attempt to kill them...

"Uncle Sen!"

It was Buck, stumbling out of the hotel room. The Penalty Game had not been finished, Yami's concentration had been broken by Kaiba, and therefore he was dazed and disoriented, but whole and no less angry. He came charging down the hall.

"Let go." Yami tried to pull away from Sentoryou. "Let go! LET ME GO!"

Sentoryou looked surprised, but Yami ripped himself out of his grip and shoved Sentoryou hard. The older man hit the wall, struggling to keep from falling to floor. He suddenly looked down at his hands, but Yami didn't stop to see why, spinning around and racing after Kaiba, who was still shoving people out of his way. He yanked open the stairwell door and darted through, Yami right on his heels.

They started down the stairs, but Kaiba suddenly stopped on the first landing, Yami nearly running into him.

Coming up from the floors below came shouting and pounding footsteps. "The cops," Kaiba hissed.

Yami saw the glint of gold sticking out of his bag in Kaiba's hand. The Ring and the Rod were visible through the open zipper. Yami dashed forward and grabbed the Rod, raising it up just as the first cops appeared on the landing, raising up their guns. The Rod gleamed brightly enough to shine off the walls and the cops slowly lowered their guns, then started past them, racing up the stairs they'd just descended. Kaiba glanced at him, then started forward again, running past the stream of cops still coming the stairs, not a one of them looking at them.

Yami ran after him, chasing on his heels down the fourth, third, and second floor stairs to the ground floor. They ran across the lobby and out the door and into the night. Parked haphazardly along the street were four or five cops cars, lights still flashing. A couple of cops were still there, guarding the entrance and the cars. Neither gave them a glance.

They ran on down the sidewalk, Yami still holding the Rod in one hand, his jacket in the other, Kaiba just ahead of him, both bags and briefcase still in his left hand. There were far fewer people on the streets at eleven at night and Yami gave up the use of the Rod. Using Items that were not his, magick unfamiliar to him, was draining his energy.

"Where are we going?" Yami panted.

"I don't know," Kaiba grated. "The airport is miles from here and I don't know if we dare to use a taxi."

"None of those cops saw us leave."

"No, but the manager did."

That was true. Yami had used the Rod so that the cops would not have taken notice of them, but he had not used the Ring to erase memories. They were fugitives now.

"How will we get back to Japan?"

"I'll find a way. Once we're back in our own country, there's nothing China can do, whether or not they suspect us." Kaiba reached into his jacket and pulled out his cell-phone. "Keep an eye out while I call the airline and book a flight."

He stopped and stood against the wall of the closest building. Yami stopped with him and watched the people passing by. Many were giving them strange looks, which was no surprise since they were two foreigners running around in their pajamas. He listened to Kaiba speaking in Chinese into his phone. Even unable to understand the language, Yami could tell Kaiba didn't speak it very well. And he could easily hear the frustration and anger in his voice.

Kaiba suddenly snapped the phone shut. "They're booked until eight in the morning tomorrow."

"What are we going to do until then?"

"I'm not going to run around Hong Kong at night in my pajamas. We're already getting enough attention as it is. I won't be surprised if someone's already called the cops." Kaiba turned his head this way and that.

Yami noted with some surprise that Kaiba was still carrying both bags, surprised that Kaiba had brought his along at all or that he'd put his shoes and jacket on him while he'd been inside the Penalty Game. It seemed more like Kaiba to have dragged him outside in the cold barefoot.

"Come on. If we're going to be stuck here, we might as well be stuck in style."

Bemused, Yami followed him as he started down the sidewalk, wondering what Kaiba could be up to now.

tbc…


	49. Chapter 49

Chapter Forty-Nine:

Seto stalked down the sidewalk, heading for the upper section of downtown Hong Kong. It was a long walk, but as they headed further into the more affluent sections of Hong Kong, the buildings became larger, grander, the shop windows displaying far better merchandise.

"Where are we going?" Yami asked again after a time of silent walking.

"There's a hotel up here more my taste. One of Hong Kong's five-stars. I only went to that hell hole back there because I thought Buck was still there at the precinct and we'd be close in the morning, take less time to get home."

Seto scowled as he walked. Naturally his plans had not gone through as planned. As soon as they got close, someone appeared to knock them back a pace, this time the man named Sentoryou. Yami had said he was Buck's uncle, so it made sense he was here in Hong Kong, for his nephew's sake. Seto had thought Yami would be able to handle him, but he'd been immune to Yami's magick. That was something neither of them had been prepared for.

Which brought up an unsettling idea. Was Takanawa immune? If he was, then Yami would be of no use if they ever found him. On the other hand, while he should plan for Takanawa possibly being immune to Yami's Penalty Games, he couldn't just expect him to be.

"Is there any way for you to know if someone's going to be impervious to your magick?" he asked.

Yami looked up, clearly surprised. From his expression, he was considering Seto's question seriously. "No...I don't suppose there is any way I can know for certain. But if you are concerned about Takanawa, you needn't be. I might not be able to control him with the Millennium Rod, but there is no one who could withstand my Mind Crush."

Seto glared at the sidewalk. No matter how many years passed, he would never get over that. The very first instance of magick he'd encountered. And, of course, Yami was right, there was no defense. On the other hand, that did bring up something good. If Yami was so certain that Takanawa would be unable to resist having his mind destroyed, then he'd keep him around.

"Good."

"Kaiba, why did you interrupt the Penalty Game with Buck? I had him."

"I know that. But Buck came bursting in there with a gun. I didn't know how many people might be with him, plus everyone in the hall was screaming 'police, police, ahhh!' and I really didn't feel like getting shot or arrested...or both."

Yami smiled slightly. Seto decided it would be safe enough to use a taxi; even if the cops did put out a bulletin to be on the look out for them, he doubted it would have circulated fast enough for taxi cars to know by now. He flagged one down and though the driver gave them weird looks at their appearance, a handful of Chinese currency changed his mind about leaving them there on the sidewalk.

The hotel Seto wanted was still a good dozen blocks from where they'd been and he was in no mood to continue walking in the cold with only his pajamas on beneath his coat. Yami sat silently beside him, looking out the window the entire ride. He seemed lost in thought and Seto didn't disturb him. That made two of them.

The cabbie dropped them off at the corner as Seto had directed and then took off. Seto led Yami the short distance to the hotel that speared the dark night sky like a square hypodermic needle, a tall metal pole with flashing lights to warn away planes only adding to the vision. Four huge plate-glass windows showed a massive front lobby done in maroon and gold, with a sparkling crystal chandlier the focal point of the room and a long, honeywood front desk before a wall of cubby-holes completing the room.

"It's empty," Yami said. "The hotel's admissions is closed."

"That won't stop you. The front door will be open for its guests and you can go Casper."

Yami frowned as he studied the interior. "Do you know, there is a fine line between stealing because you have to and stealing because you want to."

Seto sighed and rolled his eyes. He reached into his coat pocket and withdrew his wallet, pulling out a thousand in Chinese notes and grabbing Yami's hand, stuffing the money into his palm.

"Leave that on the admission desk if it makes you happy and meet me at the side entrance. Or we can sleep in the alley like bums. I'm sure the ones around here smell a little better than on the other side of town." Yami shifted in irritation next to him. "I'll bet there's not even any rats to chew on our feet." He looked up at the sky. "Looks like rain, though. But you--"

"All right, all right! Shut up already."

Seto smirked as Yami grabbed the Ring out of his bag and disappeared. Seto watched the front door open and close before he turned and headed around to the side entrance, which was used for deliveries and the staff. A camera was turning this way and that, but Seto stood, peering around the corner, timing it. As soon as the camera turned to view the other end of the alley, he darted down it and vaulted himself lightly up onto the railing of the ramp used for heavy deliveries. He reached out and grabbed the camera by the base, ignoring the whine of the servos as the camera tried to continue its sweep. He reached up and yanked hard on the wire stretching from a hole in the wall to the back of the camera and ripped it out. The wire spat sparks, but the camera was dead now.

He dropped to the alley floor and waited. After several moments the alley door opened and Yami peered out. Seto grabbed the edge of the door and pulled it open further, walking in. The room was the kitchens, a large expansive of stainless steel, state-of-the-art and immaculately clean. As Seto had expected, even a hotel this posh and rich hadn't bothered with placing cameras in the kitchens. At least that he could see.

Yami held out a key card in his hand. "I just grabbed one, I can't read it."

Seto accepted the card and read it. "Damn it." He sighed. "At least it's another double. Come on, twenty-sixth floor."

Seto didn't bother to see if he obeyed or not, he just walked through the kitchens out to the hallway and to the service elevator. They went up to twenty-sixth floor and down the long hall to suite C. Seto slid the key card through the slot and opened the door, setting both bags and his briefcase down on floor by the door.

The suite was as different from the other hotel as if it were another world. It was very lavish, with thick, white shag carpet; sleek black leather couch and chairs; steel-and-glass lamps, coffee table, and entertainment center. There was huge flat-screen TV, a kitchenette with fridge, sink, and dish washer, and a mini-bar. The bathroom was almost as big as the entire other hotel room, containing a large shower among the other amenities, and the separate bedroom contained two plush beds with soft, white linen sheets and blue bedspreads. There were two separate small dressers and a single large closet. It really wasn't all that different from Yami's current place of residence, except much more luxurious.

Yami sighed, sliding his jacket off and walked over to the couch, sitting down on it and bending over to remove his shoes. Seto moved over to settle into one of the armchairs and stared at him. Yami noticed and looked up, frowning.

"What?"

"Do you even realize you've been shot?"

Yami straightened up and lifted his left arm, looking down at his bicep. His pajama sleeve had a dark maroon stain on it but as the blood hadn't even soaked all the way around in a band, it clearly wasn't serious.

"The bullet just winged me. I'll be fine."

Seto shrugged and got to his feet. What he really wanted right then was a shower and he grabbed up his bag and gratefully went into the complete bathroom. The hot water felt wonderful and he took his time. When he was finally done, he put on his clean pajamas and went back into the hotel room, finding Yami was watching TV.

They ended up trading places as Yami went into the bathroom, no doubt to get his own shower and Seto settled on the couch, picking up the remote and changing the channel to the news station. His Chinese was poor, but he knew enough to understand that Buck's escape and what had happened at the old hotel was big news. Despite that, there wasn't many details. It seemed someone in the Chinese law enforcement was keeping a hush on everything. Seto wondered why that was, but it could be as simple as the police not wanting too much information leaked out and alerting Buck and his cronies.

The shower was running in the bathroom. Seto shut off the TV and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and steepling his fingers, in turn resting his chin on his fingertips. Well, they'd suffered a set-back, but not all was lost. Buck might have been a tad homicidal, but that was just a throw-back to his original orders. He might still be bought over.

Sentoryou was a new development, however. He seemed to have a tendency of popping up when Yami was involved. Was that merely coincidence, obsession, or something even more sinister? He was Buck's uncle, however, so his presence in China was not all that much of a surprise. Like he'd said, he'd come to try and get his nephew out of jail. They'd just unintentionally made his job easier.

Yami oddly seemed to be on Sentoryou's side. Seto wondered if Yami wasn't harboring feelings for him.

A frown crossed his face. It certainly wasn't his business if Yami did or not. That was his business alone and Seto definitely didn't want to know about it. On the other hand, since Sentoryou had been there in the hotel with his nephew to mow them down, that had probably put a damper on any fire on Yami's part.

Seto glanced up as the bathroom door opened. Yami came out, wearing a robe and scrubbing his hair vigorously with a towel. He lowered it and tossed it back into the bathroom before walking over to the kitchenette and opened the refrigerator.

"Do you want a drink?" he asked.

Surprised by the offer, Seto nodded. Yami came back into the living room area, holding a pair of soda cans in his hands. He sat down on the couch and held one out. Seto accepted it and popped the top, taking a drink of the ice-cold pop. Yami did the same before speaking.

"Once we are back in Japan, how do you plan on putting Buck on your payroll?"

Seto sighed. "I don't know. Nothing seems to go right."

Yami nodded. "I cannot believe that Sentoryou is in fact in league with Takanawa when he told me he wasn't. I believed him, despite my suspicions. I am not normally that gullible."

"They say love is blind."

Seto grinned as Yami shot him a dirty look. "I do not love him."

"Right. He's just your sugar daddy."

Yami growled and leaned towards him. "Sentoryou is nothing to me, Kaiba. Do you understand that?"

Seto laughed and finished his soda, setting the can down on the coffee table and getting to his feet. Yami remained sitting down, glaring at him. "It makes no difference to me. Rob the grave if you want."

Laughing loudly, he walked into the bedroom, choosing the bed next to the window like he'd had before. He opened it, taking a breath of sweet, rain-tinged air. A storm might be on its way. Unlike the other half of Hong Kong, this area was well-kept, meticulously clean and it showed. The air was a little too cold to leave the window open for long, but the freshness was welcome.

Seto glanced up as Yami came into the room. He stopped and leaned against the door jamb, folding his arms across his chest. Seto looked back at him for a moment, before turning to climb into his bed. Yami walked over and glared at him.

"He is not that old, you know."

Seto blinked at him. Another smile spread across his face. "A bit fixated, aren't you?"

"You just infuriate me."

"Deja vu, isn't it? Weren't we just yelling at each other at the other place? I don't suppose you'll let me go to sleep anytime soon?"

"Of course I will. But I'll leave you with something to think about. Sentoryou may be older, but he is rich, successful, smart, persistent, and stubborn." Yami settled down on the edge of his bed and gave him an insolent grin. "He's you in twenty years!"

Seto stared at Yami with an open mouth. Yami laughed, and Seto realized he enjoyed this one-up game just as much as he did. He glared at him.

"Well, I hope when I'm forty I won't be guilty of trolling for jailbait pole dancers."

Yami's smile faded. Seto waited, expecting a retaliation. He wasn't disappointed. "No, I suppose if you ever do reach the age of forty, without having been killed off by your many enemies, you will have succeeded in designing a companion robot to your specific icy designs since I doubt even twenty more years will make you even slightly more capable of having a real human relationship."

Damn. Yami's strike was even a whole paragraph. Seto scrambled for another. "Actually, that's not a half-bad idea. I could program it to be a whole lot less tiresome than you are."

"If I am so tiresome, then I suppose you'd be happy if I just walked out right now." Yami got up as if he was going to actually do that.

Seto laughed. "Please. Now who's the one who needs help? You have no money, you don't speak the language, and you'd be all alone. Although, I suppose if you found your stalker, he'd be more than willing to fly you back to Japan. Or at least willing to stuff the plane ticket in your G-string."

Yami reached out and grabbed a handful of his hair, pulling his head back painfully and snarling. "You go too far with that, Kaiba."

Seto reached up and grabbed Yami's wrist, yanking it out of his hair, ignoring the pain as several strands parted company with his scalp. Yami tried to jerk back, but Seto held onto his wrist, squeezing it hard enough to hurt and bracing against Yami's pull, keeping him in place. Yami tried to grab him with the other hand and Seto captured that one, too. Yami was leaning over him a little by the way Seto was holding his wrists, red eyes blazing.

Like before they stared at each other, the anger and tension running unbearably deep.

Seto tugged Yami down, letting go of one wrist to grab the back of his head and claim his mouth furiously.

tbc…


	50. Chapter 50

Chapter Fifty:

Yami was incensed with Kaiba again. His taunts about Sentoryou were hitting hard. Yami did not love him, but he was upset that Sentoryou had betrayed him. He had truly believed Sentoryou was just a nice, older gentleman with a crush.

Yet Kaiba had decided to make fun of it. At least Yami could match him for insults. They were going back and forth like it was a game.

But Kaiba was going too far with it and Yami finally snapped, grabbing his hair. His threat didn't seem to make any difference however, and Yami found himself caught by Kaiba's hands. He struggled, but Kaiba was too strong for him to break his grip.

They glared at each other, tense. Then suddenly Kaiba jerked him down, letting go with one hand to grab the back of his head, and kiss him hard. Yami immediately kissed him back, using his suddenly free hand to grab a handful of Kaiba's pajama shirt.

They held onto each other, kissing roughly, until both needed to breathe again. They broke apart, breathing harshly and still glaring at each other. Kaiba had yet to release Yami's other wrist and when Yami tried again to pull out of his grip, Kaiba jerked him back. His hand dropped from the back of Yami's head to the small of his back and pulled him up against him.

Yami wound his free arm around Kaiba's neck and bent his head to kiss him again, pushing against him. Kaiba laid down slowly on his back, pulling him down with him, his tongue shoving into Yami's mouth. He finally let go of Yami's wrist and wrapped his arms around him, running his hands down his back over the robe. Yami held onto his shoulders, kissing him back, before finding himself suddenly flipped over.

Yami opened his eyes as Kaiba leaned over him, holding both of his arms down. "If we're going to do this again, you stay right like this."

Yami glared up at him, before rolling his eyes. He could expect nothing less. Kaiba leaned down and claimed his mouth again, still pinning his arms down, his tongue immediately seeking to dominate. Yami growled and fought back, their tongues sliding together in their joined mouths. Kaiba let go of Yami's arms and sank his fingers into his hair, kissing him harder. Yami groaned, winding his arms around his back and holding onto his shoulders.

Kaiba broke the kiss and looked down at him intently. Yami looked back at him, waiting, unable to do much more with Kaiba laying on him. After a moment, Kaiba suddenly dipped his head beneath Yami's chin and nibbled at his neck. Yami gasped and tilted his head back, closing his eyes. Kaiba's lips glided down his neck and he shivered, his hands still holding Kaiba's shoulders. He was getting hard and Kaiba obviously felt it, for he suddenly ground his hips into his, drawing another gasp from him.

He felt Kaiba's hands at the knot of the robe's belt. He got it undone and pushed the sides of the robe open before glancing down and then looking back up into Yami's face, his eyebrow raised. Yami struggled against blushing; he was wearing only a pair of boxers under the robe.

"I only brought one pair of pajamas and they're bloody and torn."

Kaiba smirked and leaned down to kiss him again. His hands moved in under the partially opened robe and roamed over Yami's chest, sending pleasure along his nerves. This kiss was gentler than the ones before and Yami ran his fingers through Kaiba's hair before moving them down under him to begin undoing the buttons to his pajama top. He got them all unfastened and pushed the shirt down his arms, Kaiba taking it all the way off and tossing it to the floor.

The kiss was broken again as Kaiba lowered his head. His tongue slid up Yami's chest, brushing over his left nipple and sending a tingle of electricity up his spine. He moaned softly, looking down and watching as Kaiba did the same thing to the other side, making him squirm. Kaiba lifted up a little and grasped the waistband of his pajama pants, shimmying out of them and tossing them over the side of the bed.

Yami let his eyes wander over Kaiba's body, another stab of arousal flitting through his own. Kaiba was mean, cruel, and sarcastic, but Yami could not remember feeling more aroused by anybody.

He slid off the bed as Kaiba reached for him, walking out of the room and into the bathroom, the open robe fluttering around his legs. He opened the mirrored cabinet over the sink where the hotel bottles were kept, reaching up and grabbing one of lotion. He gasped in surprise as Kaiba suddenly grabbed him from behind, pushing him against the sink, his hands holding his hips tightly in place as he leaned over his back.

"Maybe I should just take you right here," Kaiba growled in his ear, his breath hot.

Yami shivered slightly and shook his head. Kaiba's hands moved from his hips to the edge of the sink and he took the opportunity to turn around in the enclosed space, knowing that Kaiba hadn't backed up for a reason. Tilting his head back to look up into his face, Yami reached up with his empty hand and pressed against Kaiba's chest, shoving him backwards out of the bathroom and back into the bedroom. Kaiba's legs hit the edge of his bed and they both toppled onto it, Yami on top.

He bent his head down and kissed him, quickly parting Kaiba's lips with his tongue and invading. Kaiba growled beneath him, both hands coming up and digging into his hair, allowing him to dominate the kiss for a moment before he suddenly grabbed Yami around the waist and rolled them over again. He pulled Yami up a little to shove the robe down his arms and off, still kissing him, laying him back down on top of the discarded garment, his hands beneath his back.

Yami drew his hands along Kaiba's upper torso, exploring by feel while his mouth was ravaged by Kaiba's brutal kisses. At last he was freed when Kaiba sat up to relieve him of the last piece of clothing between them. He gasped for breath, lifting his hips up to allow the boxers to come off, watching as Kaiba threw them to the floor and reached for the bottle of lotion Yami had dropped at the some point.

Kaiba pushed Yami's legs apart and knelt between them, opening the lotion and pouring some onto his fingers before reaching down. Yami shifted a little as the first finger slid inside him, quickly followed by a second. They scissored and were joined by a third. His prostate was brushed and his hands curled into fists.

Kaiba withdrew his fingers and slicked his erection, dropping the bottle thoughtlessly to the floor. He came forward over Yami, bending down to kiss him again as he entered him. Yami groaned, wrapping his legs around his waist and lifting his hips to make the angle easier, clutching at Kaiba's shoulders. They paused for a moment, just kissing, before Kaiba began to thrust.

Yami arched, breaking the kiss on a sharp gasp, his fingers digging into Kaiba's skin. Kaiba picked up the pace immediately, a low groan rumbling from his throat, bracing himself on his hands on either side of Yami's head. Yami closed his eyes, moaning breathlessly, winding his arms around Kaiba's neck. He leaned up and kissed him, running his tongue over Kaiba's bottom lip.

Kaiba shoved him back down against the bed, taking over the kiss, his hands dragging over Yami's body. One slid down and wrapped around his erection. Yami moaned, thrusting his hips against his hand, dragging his nails down Kaiba's back. He slammed into him, rocking him against the bed with a possessive growl.

Yami latched onto Kaiba's shoulder with his teeth, sucking roughly. Kaiba turned his head and brushed his lips over Yami's cheek to his ear, where he sucked the lobe. Yami shivered, feeling the pressure rising dangerously in his gut. He rested his head back against the bed, panting harshly and looking up at Kaiba. The brunette met his eyes before bending down and catching his mouth in another kiss.

Yami was shaking now, crying out as Kaiba's hand tightened on his cock. He came, nails sinking into Kaiba's shoulders. Kaiba hissed, thrusting a few more times before he joined him, groaning through his teeth. They both relaxed, Kaiba resting his head against Yami's shoulder. Yami caught his breath, his hands resting against Kaiba's back, eyes closed.

Kaiba slowly withdrew and Yami opened his eyes, watching him drowsily as he pulled back the covers. He suddenly reached down and pulled Yami up, brushing the robe off the edge of the bed. They climbed in under the covers, Yami reaching up to click off the lamp before settling with Kaiba and drifting off to sleep.

******

The next morning Yami woke when Kaiba shook him. He opened his eyes to see Kaiba standing at the side of the bed, already showered and dressed.

"Hurry up. We need to be at the airport in an hour."

He turned and left the bedroom. Yami slowly climbed out of bed, pushing his hair off his face and getting to his feet. He walked into the bathroom and got into the shower, letting the hot water rush over his skin. He wasn't that surprised that Kaiba was back to being cold.

He got out of the shower and dried off, returning to the bedroom to get dressed. When he came into the main room of the suite, Kaiba was already ready to go. Their eyes met briefly, but neither said anything and they left the hotel room. Not a single person questioned their presence there and they left the hotel. Kaiba flagged down a cab and they were on their way to the airport.

A few hours later they had boarded the plane to Japan. They didn't say anything to each other during the flight and Yami wasn't surprised. They'd acted out on their mutual tension and passions, but now it was a new day and neither was in the mood to talk about it.

The plane landed on the Domino City airstrip and they disembarked at the airport. Outside once more, Yami was just turning to find himself a cab and return to the hotel he stayed at when Kaiba's hand landed on his shoulder. He looked up at him curiously.

"Listen, Yami..." Here Kaiba hesitated, clearly uncomfortable. Abruptly he tilted his head and smirked. "Don't worry too much about hurting Sentoryou's feelings that you cheated on him. One more bull dance from you and he'll forget all about it."

Kaiba laughed and turned, heading in his own direction, walking towards a limo that was already waiting for him at the edge of the sidewalk. Yami watched him go, feeling a hot flash of anger run through him before a smile broke through and he turned in his own direction.

tbc…


	51. Chapter 51

Chapter Fifty-One:

Seto got back to his regular life immediately. He sent Roland home with his luggage to get it cleaned and put away while he himself went right to Kaiba Corp. to check on the company. It was running smoothly, but he still sat down and went over the week's reports, checking facts and figures for himself. He went straight through to past dinner time before he finally went home, having dinner set down before him while he tried to think of what he should do now.

The trip to Hong Kong had been an utter disaster. Nearly three days wasted. Despite what they'd gone through to get Buck out of prison, he was still in Hong Kong. Perhaps he could find his way out, but even if he did, he wouldn't be a help to them. He'd just go back to Takanawa and be one more gun against Seto.

Maybe he should just forget about him. Buck was an idiot, anyway. All he cared about was hurting people, and while Seto thought he could use that for himself, idiots were dangerous. Buck could take his money and turn back against him in order to get double-paid, or he could fuck it up and get everyone killed. No, Seto should choose something smarter than that. Nothing was smarter than doing things yourself.

Of course, doing things himself had lately been carting Yami around so he could use his magick.

It was March 5th and Takanawa had wanted Buck back by Tuesday, the 8th. So he had less than three days to come up with a plan or he might go after Mokuba and Marianne.

He wondered if he could convince his brother to move his new family to someplace safe. There were problems with that, however. Moving to someplace safe would uproot their lives, Mokuba would be angry with him for it, and it was unlikely he would be able to find a place that Takanawa would not be able to find, not without getting outside help, like from the police, which brought up all the previous reasons he hadn't involved them already. Seto was no saint and he didn't kid himself that he was immune from having to answer for the things he'd done if they were found out.

******

The next day, Seto called Mokuba to see how things were going. His brother had just gotten home from college and was happy to hear from him.

"Things are going great! Marianne's feeling a lot better and she's starting to show. We've got the crib, the dresser, and the changing table already set up."

"Do you know what it is, yet?"

"Yeah. It's a boy! I'm going to have a son, Seto!"

"That's good. What are you going to call him?"

"I don't know, yet. There's a lot of choices. Oh, well, I've got about five months to decide. I got my first quarter grades back. A's in English, History, Physics, and Chemistry. But only B's in College Algebra and Philosophy."

"Philosophy is useless and you don't have to be that good in math. That's why they invented calculators."

Mokuba chuckled. "Yeah, I know, but that's still useless to hear from somehow who can multiply 5,236 by 3,111 in his head."

"16,289,196," Seto said immediately.

Mokuba sighed heavily over the phone. "Exactly. How are things on your end? The English office is working like clockwork."

"Kaiba Corp. is fine. There's nothing new to report."

"Oh. Hey, I got a place for the school you might like to take a look at. It's off of Okinawa Island." Mokuba gave him the coordinates. "It's owned by Sunrise Incorporated."

Seto wrote that down. He didn't think a duel school was at the top of his list of concerns right at the moment, but he would keep it in mind for later. He also knew that if there was any possibility of Takanawa having given them trouble, Mokuba would have brought it up first thing. He felt relief as well as more irritation. Takanawa was going to pay for putting him through all of this.

They talked for a little while longer, but Seto could not think of a decent reason to get Mokuba away from his home without giving everything away. And he did know that there was a lot of security around the place. Mokuba was not generally as an aloof and suspicious a person as Seto was, but with his new wife pregnant with his first child, he was likely to be far more cautious than usual. Plus, at any given time, there would be at least two other people on the property besides the family.

Still, no amount of people around would stop a sniper with a high-powered scope.

******

March 8th rolled around and Seto had not come with any solution. The whole day he waited tense for Takanawa's inevitable call. It came around dinnertime.

"So, kiddo, I can't help but notice that my associate isn't by my side."

"I guess you'll just have to find another life partner, Takanawa."

"You know, I am getting tired of your smart mouth. Any reason you failed?"

"Because Buck is as dumb as a post. I got him out of jail and he went and got a gun and shot someone." Nevermind that it was Yami he shot. "So he's either still in Hong Kong or back in jail." Or his uncle had snuck him back into Japan, but he wasn't about to voice that possibility.

"I guess you'll just have to try again."

"Hell, no. Even if I'd brought him back here, he'd still wind up in jail before the month's out. Buck was a moron. You're better off without him. Stupid people, especially stupid people who are also mean, are more than likely to bring you down with them than be of any real help."

Takanawa was silent for a long time, though this time Seto didn't hang up on him. "Good advice," he said finally. "I suppose you're right, kid. Though I'll always welcome Buck back if he ever happens to get out of prison."

"Loyalty like yours makes the sun shine."

Takanawa laughed. "It's a pity you don't play well with others. You would make a good business partner. Your father was the best one I ever had."

"I thought you said before that I wasn't anything like my stepfather."

"Well, that's true. In some ways."

"Tell me, how was Gozaburo any help to you anyway?"

"Isn't it obvious? You've read up on me, I'm sure you have. You always do your research. Your father was in the arms business, as you know. I, beneath my entirely legit computer programming business, ran drugs and laundered money. You know, the usual dabbling in darkness. Your father made contracts through many countries with his weapons manufacturing and when he shipped his guns, he shipped my drugs as well. I gave him a cut of the profits for his trouble and he made my businesses soar. He shipped my drugs and laundered money and I used his warehouses for my labs. It was quite the partnership and now I'm sure you can see just how much you shutting him down hurt me."

Seto could. Drugs and money-laundering, if done right, could get you more money than any legitimate business. But legitimate or not, it was still a business and having the production location pulled out from under you left you with few options. Pulling the plug on Gozaburo's dream of worldwide artillery had put a halt to Takanawa's operations, at least in part, and probably cost him hundreds of thousands if not more. And might have gained him trouble from those buying said drugs. No doubt that was one of the reasons he was so damn hard to find; he'd gone underground like a rat when Gozaburo had fallen.

"I wonder how many of your buyers are out to get you?" Seto mused. "Now that you can no longer deliver."

"See how smart you are? Did you really think you were the only person after me? Please, I wouldn't hide if it was just you. You're just a little boy compared to me, and not half as scary as your father was."

"I suppose we'll see when I finally find you and we meet face-to-face."

"Oh, kid, if I hadn't back-stabbed my two best friends to get out of trouble and have both of their families out to put me in a cement jacket I would walk to your house right this second."

"Well, don't worry, you can't hide from me forever."

"Statistically, probably not, but take this into your considerations. It's been almost ten years since your father died and Akira and Tetsuo have yet to find me. If you're really for this, you'd better be prepared to put in a lot of time."

Seto suddenly had an idea. "Whatever it takes to get you off my back."

"But until then, I own you. Unless, of course, you want your brother and his wife dead, all your dirty laundry aired to the police, and your ass rotting in jail. Maybe I'd even be able to pull some strings and get Buck to be your cellmate."

Seto really didn't know how much Takanawa knew about the illegal things he'd done over the years, but in all reality Takanawa didn't actually need to know anything. He could simply send an anonymous hint to the police and that would be enough. Seto would be investigated and with thousands of employees on his payroll, somebody would mess up. That was statistics as Takanawa had pointed out.

"What do you want, Takanawa? You never get right to the point, do you?"

"There's no fun in that. But okay, here goes. It's my boy's fifth birthday on April 12. And you really know what he really wants?"

"A decent father who's able to buy him a mitt and ball and young enough to throw it without dislocating his shoulder?"

Takanawa didn't respond to the insult this time, but just went on with it. "Have you heard of those new robotic dogs they're designing? The ones that act just like real dogs?"

"With all the warmth and affection of hugging a computer."

"Yeah. Those. What can I say, my wife's allergic to animals but my boy really wants a pet to train and play with. So, get one of those. As in steal it."

"Yeah, yeah, I somehow managed to read between the lines." Gods, Seto was getting tired of this. Still, he had his idea and more than a month to plan it out. "But now that Buck's out of the picture, who's going to be your delivery boy?"

"I have a month to decide. You're a fool if you think Buck was the only friend I had left."

He hung up right there. Seto set his phone back into its cradle and folded his fingers like he usually did when he was thinking hard, staring blankly at the floor beyond his desk while he did. Akira and Tetsuo. Popular names and without last names it might be impossible, but he wondered if he could find out who Takanawa's old 'friends' were. It might not be any help, might even bring more problems, but if he could get help, it might be worth the risk.

Akira and Tetsuo had been partners with Takanawa, he'd said as much. They would know things about Takanawa that no one else would. At the very least they could identify him without question. Seto had his picture and description saved to his hard drive, but given the prevalence of the name Hiroshi Takanawa, he could never be certain, especially if the man he was after used that name as an alias.

The two of them were also after him and would want their revenge. He could always use more help trying to find one man in the millions of people who populated Japan. Li had met a bad end, but he was just a low-budget private investigator and it was no surprise he'd been caught and killed. Akira and Tetsuo would be members of the Yakuza and therefore smarter, fiercer, and better guarded. It would harder for Takanawa to get the jump on them, and if they were still full-members, it would be much easier for them to get him. They couldn't find him because they had no contact with him. Takanawa was holed up somewhere, probably deep in Tokyo or somewhere off the map, living life within the confines of his property. It would be impossible for someone to find him, but since Takanawa was calling Seto, there was an advantage. Seto, Tetsuo, or Akira could put a trace on the phone and find him that way, or if Takanawa was too smart for that, the two Yakuzas could use their persuasive abilities to find him their way. He supposed the real reason they hadn't been able to find him was less because Takanawa was so smart than because he was using a different name, or that his old family thought he was dead.

All they needed to know was that he was still alive, what name he was using whether it was his real name or not, and that contact could be made through the person who picked up the stolen stuff. If Seto found one of the Yakuzas and told him that Takanawa's man would be picking up the robo-dog on the twelfth of April, and where, then that man could then waylay the associate and either torture him into giving it up or follow him.

Seto didn't care how Takanawa took his fall. It would be more satisfying to do it himself, but all that mattered was that he was gone. If Akira and Tetsuo got to him first...well, they'd be less merciful than Seto himself would be.

But there was problems with that idea, too. The Yakuza were soulless, violent men who killed just because it was fun. They might take Seto's information, then kill him, and go after Takanawa alone. Getting involved with the mafia in any way might even be worse than having Takanawa at his back. Despite the fact that they would want Takanawa's blood for themselves, they would consider killing him a favor to Seto and therefore he'd be in debt all over again with men who were likely to be even harder to shake than the original.

Perhaps he could give them the information anonymously. Let them have their all-out gun war and be free entirely.

He was getting ahead of himself, though. First he'd have to even find Akira and Tetsuo and that was already a huge challenge. He'd have to narrow parameters down like he did Takanawa. The Yakuza might be well-known and feared but a smart mob boss was a hidden mob boss. It was likely most of their boys didn't even know who they were.

Still, Seto had an idea to try. He'd get on it in the morning. One thing he did know for certain was that for all Takanawa said, he wasn't going to be happy toying with Seto for much longer and one more slip-up to piss him off would get Mokuba killed.

Maybe it was time to bring his brother in on it, for his safety at least.

tbc…


	52. Chapter 52

Chapter Fifty-Two:

Yami paused as he headed across the parking lot to the hotel. Joey's car was sitting in its assigned spot, but it was only three in the afternoon on Saturday. Joey and Yugi weren't supposed to be back until dinnertime tomorrow. The car had been left at the airport. Why were they home?

Yami hurried forward, but he couldn't show them his bag. He didn't want them to know he was still helping Kaiba and especially didn't want to show them the bloody, torn pajamas still in there. He went to the stairs and went up, tossing the bag down behind one of the decorative potted plants, shoving the Ring beneath his shirt and the Rod into his belt at his back beneath his jacket, before going down the walkway to the door. He pulled out his keycard and slid it through the slot, opening the door.

He knew immediately something was wrong. Joey and Yugi were both sitting on the couch, looking in different directions, Yugi looking sad and Joey looking pissed-off. His arms were folded over his chest, brown eyes glaring a hole into the wall.

"What's going on?" Yami asked.

Yugi looked up dejectedly. "Hi, Yami."

He looked tentatively at Joey and Yami realized with a shock that Joey was angry at Yugi. What on earth had happened?

"Joey?" he prodded, since it seemed Yugi was too nervous to address him himself. "Um...how was the wedding?"

"Don't know," Joey snapped. "It's going on now in Greece."

"Joey, what happened?"

"It was fucking horrible!" Joey exploded, surging to his feet. Yugi winced and Yami stared at him in surprise. "You want to know what happened, Yami? My sister lied to me. My mom didn't invite me at all."

"Oh, no," Yami said, catching on immediately.

"Yeah." Joey laughed bitterly. "So imagine her surprise when I showed up yesterday morning. She didn't seem overjoyed, so I asked what was wrong and she flat-out told me I wasn't invited. We put two-and-two together and knew Serenity had lied just to get me there. Mom went off on her, shouting at her that she had no right to invite me, that she didn't want me there, and she made Serenity cry. So I went off on her and told her not to yell at her and the whole damn rehearsal dinner blew up. Her fiance told me to back off and shoved me, so I slugged him and we ended up rolling around on the floor. Mom threw me out so we jumped on the next damn plane home."

Yami didn't know what to say to that. That was horrible. But why was Joey mad at Yugi?

"I said I was sorry, Joey," Yugi said plaintively.

"Yeah, but you know what, Yug'? You should have just stayed out of it. It wasn't your business when I didn't want to go and it wasn't your business when we were fighting and it certainly wasn't your business to ask me to go back and try and make up."

"I was just trying to help," Yugi whispered.

"I know you were, Yug'. But you went too far." Joey turned, glowering at Yugi. "I'm sorry for you, you have no idea how sorry I am about your family, but my family isn't like yours was. My family sucks and I'm done with them and just lay off, all right?!"

Yugi flinched. "Joey, I'm sorry."

"Yeah, you are." Joey yawned, suddenly, looking all the angrier for it. "Look, I'm beat. I'm going to bed for a bit."

He turned and walked into the bedroom, slamming the door shut. Yugi slumped on the couch, looking miserable. Yami sighed and walked over, sitting down and putting his arm around Yugi's shoulders, pulling his hikari against him and resting his cheek against the top of his head.

//Aibou, he didn't mean that.//

/I know. But he did mean it, sort of./ Yugi sighed and closed his eyes, leaning closer to Yami. /I messed up./

Yami stroked Yugi's shoulder, not really able to refute that. He knew Yugi had meant well, but apparently Joey didn't see it the same way. And he did know that Yugi had tried to get Joey to take the chance with patching things up with his mother because he was missing his own family. It had not gone as planned and really the blame lay with Serenity for lying, but she had clearly felt the same as Yugi, that on this big day for their mother Joey should have been there to support her. It was a pity it had not gone well, but both would have to learn to live with that.

//He'll get over his anger, Yugi,// Yami said finally.

Yugi sighed again, even more deeply. He suddenly pulled away, opening his eyes and getting to his feet. "I'm going for a walk, okay?"

Yami hesitated. "That's not wise."

Yugi stopped in mid-step, then slowly turned back. His face was tense and emotional. "I've been walking for weeks now. I'll use the elevator instead of the stairs, but I can walk."

Yami studied Yugi's face. He could see the strain there, the stormy look in his eyes and the temper that was ever closer to the surface than before. Yugi was upset he'd hurt Joey and wanted to walk off some steam. He gave in.

//Promise me you'll stay close.//

/I promise,/ Yugi said in aggravation. Then the tenseness left and he bent down to hug Yami. /I promise,/ he repeated more softly.

Yami watched Yugi grab one of the key cards, stuffing it into his pocket before putting on his jacket and leaving the hotel room. Yami waited a little while before going out and retrieving his bag, feeling ridiculous and guilty for sneaking around like this, and returned to the hotel suite. He unpacked and threw away the ruined pajamas, putting the rest of the clothes into the laundry basket. He walked over to the bedroom door and tried the knob. Joey hadn't locked it and he slowly opened the door, peering inside.

Joey was sprawled out on his back awkwardly across his bed, his jacket and shoes tossed haphazardly onto the floor, belt undone but otherwise still dressed, snoring loudly. He'd fallen asleep quickly. Yami looked at him for a long moment, but he couldn't be angry with him. He'd yelled at Yugi, but he had a valid point, from his side.

Yami slowly closed the door and went into the kitchenette to get himself something to eat. He didn't think that Joey would stay angry at Yugi for long. No, the real problem lay with Yugi. He was having more trouble dealing with this than Yami had thought. He'd focused all he had on getting better and learning to walk and now that he had, all he had left was the deaths of his family.

But what could Yami do? Yugi was hurting, but there was little more Yami or Joey could do to comfort him other than be with him. He would have to deal with it on his own from here on and he didn't seem to be doing that. Yami knew Yugi was strong, but this was something one did not normally have to face. He worried about him, but neither he nor Joey could really understand what he was going through.

Yami glanced at the clock. It was a little before four and he was due at the Fire Room at five for his evening shift. He would have to leave in a little while in order to walk there and he really wanted to be at the hotel to make sure Yugi made it back safely.

Still, if he didn't make his shift, he'd get fired. Finally he did what he knew he had to and left a note for Joey to call him if Yugi wasn't home by six, wondering if he'd even wake up before that. It was strange that Joey was so tired while Yugi wasn't. They'd been on the same long flight. But then Joey was prone to naps on Saturdays, so he didn't put much thought into it.

He gathered his jacket and headed downstairs to the main office. The day manager looked up and smiled. Yami felt a little guilty he could never remember her name and surreptitiously checked her name tag as he came up.

"Good afternoon, Patricia."

"Hi, Yami. Come for your messages?"

She rummaged on the untidy desktop and picked up a small notebook, flipping through the pages. The long-term-rental hotel had all calls come into the central office, the phones in the rooms only for pages to the maintenance office, room service, maid service, and 911. Patricia fielded all the calls for the eighty-two rooms and somehow managed to keep it all straight.

"Um, The Ridge called yesterday. You're all set up for your new apartment." She looked up and made a pout. "Aw, you're leaving."

Yami smiled at her and she turned back to the notes.

"Annie wants to see you Wednesday at four for your interview. Should I tell her that's good?"

Yami had a shift at that time, but he'd get it changed. If he had to, he'd do the dishonorable thing and skip it if it meant getting a new job and being able to get out of being a stripper. He nodded.

"Absolutely, thank you. And thank her for me, please."

"Can do, sweetie. Oh, um, two more. Someone named Serenity called for Joey to apologize." Yami nodded, knowing he'd have to pass that on. However mad Joey was, his relationship with his sister would never be ruined. "And the last one is from the Shintaka Center. Dr. Ashford wants to set up an appointment next week for Yugi's check-up."

"Thank you, Patricia, I appreciate all your help."

"You're welcome, honey."

Yami turned and headed out the door, knowing he'd have to walk quickly to make his shift. But he managed it and entered into the dressing room with a couple of minutes to spare. Derek glanced up, then looked away. He hadn't really said anything to Yami at all since he'd told him that Joey was with Yugi. Technically that wasn't true then and it wasn't true now, but Yami wasn't about to let Derek know that.

Yami got dressed in the outfit he was supposed to wear that night. Seeing Roger's choice, he knew in an instant he was going to skip his Wednesday shift. Gods, how humiliating; he was supposed to be dressed like a biker with a V-necked, sleeveless, zippered vest, skin-tight leather pants with chains and zippered cuffs, steel-tipped boots, spiked collar, and a leather cap. Looking at the ridiculous outfit, he wondered if it would be immoral to send his boss to the Shadow Realm.

He got dressed, but couldn't find the second of the fingerless gloves that were supposed to complete the outfit after spending nearly all his remaining time trying to get his spiky hair to flatten beneath the stupid hat.

"Here, you're standing on it."

It was Derek, nudging his left foot with his own. Yami glanced down and removed his foot, bending down to pick up the lost glove, feeling silly for having stood on it. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He hesitated and looked at him. "I can see how much you hate it, but you look really good."

"Thank you, Derek," Yami said cautiously.

"I hear...Joey quit," Derek said.

"Yes, he did. He got another job."

Derek nodded, toying with the tie he'd taken off. He'd been dressed like a regular businessman for his dance; Yami had heard the raucous cheers and whistles of the crowd's approval when he came in. Derek lifted his eyes to his.

"You're going to be next, huh?"

Yami finished adjusting his hat from where it had slid when he'd bent down and which he knew wasn't going to keep its precarious perch for long. "I plan to quit, yes. I have an interview on Wednesday."

"Oh. Well, good luck."

"Thank you."

"Tell Joey I said hi, okay?"

Yami nodded a trifle impatiently. He understood Derek's feelings, but he'd been informed that Joey was spoken for and that should be it. Derek gave him a slight smile and turned away, beginning to put away the businessman costume, already dressed in his street clothes. His shift was over.

Yami sighed as the music started for his dance. He stepped through the curtains and onto the darkened stage, which lit up almost immediately. Gritting his teeth at the catcalls he got, he started his dance.

'Only two more to suffer through,' he thought to himself.

His hat almost immediately slid off when he started to dance. He caught it in mid-air, but threw it off the stage in irritation, not seeing where it landed. More cheers and whistles that he ignored, running his hands along his chest over the vest as he walked down the length of the stage. He reached the pole and grabbed it, whirling around it before raising one leg up parallel to the pole and swinging back the other way. The drunken come-ons made him grip the pole until his knuckles were white. He supposed it was a good thing he wasn't allowed to wear his Puzzle while performing, he'd probably lose control and Mind Crush someone without trying to.

Lowering his leg and turning his back to the pole, he bobbed up and down against it a couple of times with his hands still holding it above his head. Leaving it, he walked up the stage a little before sliding the zipper down his vest. He let it slide slowly down his arms before tossing it to the back of the stage. Revolving in place to the pulse of the music, he caressed his chest a couple of times before unbuckling his belt and pulling it from the loops. He cracked it like a whip over his head before flinging it towards backstage.

The lights suddenly turned from white to blue, but he ignored that, bending forward until his hands were flat on the stage before straightening up with a roll of his body. He unbuttoned his pants and pulled down the zipper before strutting down the stage back to the pole. He rubbed against it a few times, before turning his back to it and putting his hands to his pants, working them off while rocking his hips from side to side and slowly sinking to his knees at the same time. He rolled onto his back and pushed the pants all the way off, climbing lithely to his feet and throwing the pants to backstage.

Now in only his boots, underwear, and gloves, Yami's attention was drawn to someone waving wildly from the audience. It was just one of the businessmen, but he now saw that the man was holding the hat he'd thrown. The man threw it towards him like a discus and Yami caught it. Sighing to himself, Yami indulged the patron and put it back on his head, holding it there with one hand while he went back to dancing, flexing his body in random patterns. The cheers were almost loud enough to drown out the music.

Yami finished his act sliding down the stage a little on his knees before settling back on his haunches, still holding the hat to his head with one hand and the other resting on his thighs, striking a brief and flirtatious pose.

Mercifully the music ended and the stage went dark. Yami climbed to his feet and walked back towards backstage, sliding between the curtains and gathering up the clothes he'd thrown. The hat fell off again and Yami kicked it in a temper.

"You know I pay for that myself," a surly voice said.

Yami glanced over, seeing Roger walking towards him. "Sorry," he said sullenly.

"You know, now that there's only one half of the White-Hot Duo left, I'm starting to lose some of my business. There were some people who only came for you two as a pair."

Yami frowned slightly. "And?"

Roger glared. "You're costing me money."

"I don't remember when it became you who decided what employment Joey and I may have."

Roger suddenly reached out and grabbed Yami's wrist. Yami dumped his stage outfit on the floor and growled, trying to jerk back. "Release me."

Roger hauled on his arm and swung him around in an arc, slamming him back against the row of lockers dancers stored their personal belongings in. There were two others in the backstage area, both dancers Yami didn't know very well and they both looked up, but then looked quickly away, clearly choosing not to get involved. Roger leaned close, snarling in Yami's face.

"I don't like being talked to like that by some nobody stripper. You were pretty desperate when you first got hired on here and I don't like the uppity attitude you've suddenly got because someone else hired your asses. I've had enough of your smart mouth and no one takes a good moneymaker away from me. So here's--"

Tired and angry and more than a little sick of being manhandled because people assumed he was too small to defend himself, Yami struck back. He was a Pharaoh and back in his day, kings were warriors. Yami punched Roger across the face with his free hand while twisting his arm forward, putting pressure on the relatively weak area between the thumb and other fingers, forcing Roger to let go of him. He grasped Roger's arm with both of his hands and twisted it savagely behind Roger's back, putting strain on the pressure points. Roger yelped and sank to his knees as Yami forced him down.

"Now you listen to me," Yami said dangerously, too low for the wide-eyed gawkers at the end of the stage room. "I am not bound to you by any definition and if you dare to lay a hand on me again...I'll kill you."

Putting his foot against Roger's back, he let go of his arm and kicked out, shoving Roger hard to the ground. He glowered down at him, tense for a reaction, but to his satisfaction Roger remained where he was. Yami turned his back on him because he had to to get his things from his locker, but he kept his attention to any sounds of Roger getting up. None came and Yami turned back around to face him, keeping his eyes on him while he got dressed.

Sliding the chain of his Puzzle over his head and letting it hang comfortably against his stomach, Yami gave Roger one last fierce glare.

"As I'm sure you realize, I quit."

Smirking with self-satisfaction, Yami turned and strode to the stairs leading down to the side door, further gratified when the two other dancers scrambled out of his way. He threw open the door and stepped out into the main room of the club, his eyes taking a moment to adjust to the gloom.

He found his way blocked. Looking up, he felt his heart sink as he realized Sentoryou was standing in front of him. The older man looked down at him as if unsure of what to say. Yami started by him only to have Sentoryou reach out and stop him. But because the man's touch was light and more of a nonverbal request than a command, Yami didn't resist.

"Please, listen to me a minute, Shadow Flare," Sentoryou said huskily. "What happened in Hong Kong...I didn't realize that was going to happen."

"Yes, I'm sure you didn't."

"Please, believe me, I had nothing to do with that. If I had known Buck intended to hurt you, I would never have followed you to your hotel. Are you all right?" Sentoryou's eyes flicked to the half-healed line on Yami's bicep.

"I'm fine."

Yami searched his face. Sentoryou was a damn good liar if he was lying. He looked earnest and upset. The problem was, Yami just didn't know whether he was lying or not. It seemed like an awfully suspicious coincidence. And yet, it was not a surprise Sentoryou was in Hong Kong the same time they were. Buck was his nephew and he'd gone to help him. Sentoryou had mentioned that he didn't like Buck but that he looked after him for the sake of his sister, whom he did seem to care very deeply about. And he realized that Sentoryou had mentioned he was going to the airport the very day he'd rescued Yami from Kato's thugs. So that situation had its solution. And he could suppose Sentoryou would have known nothing about Buck being intent on killing he and Kaiba. After all, as far as Sentoryou knew--if he was indeed ignorant of Kaiba's problems with Takanawa--Buck was Kaiba's friend and Kaiba had gone to Hong Kong to get him out of jail.

There were a couple of holes in that theory, however. Did Sentoryou not wonder how Kaiba managed to get Buck released from the Chinese prison or why Yami was there? Did he not wonder why Buck had tried to double-cross and kill them? At the very least, he should be curious as to Buck's behavior in their presence when Yami had used his magick.

"I left Buck in Hong Kong," Sentoryou said abruptly. "I love my sister, but that boy is no good. I didn't really believe the charges against him, for her sake, until he tried to put a bullet in you. He's back in Chinese custody where he belongs. I'm sorry, Shadow Flare. I never meant for you to get hurt."

Yami hesitated, torn. Sentoryou seemed so sincere and distraught, but if he was a good actor, forgiving him good be dangerous. On the one hand, what would garnering Yami's forgiveness get him? If he intended to hurt him, he could have done it on numerous occasions before now. He could just be an innocent bystander. On the other hand, if he was in fact not who he said he was, he could be intending something. But what?

Perhaps to use Yami against Kaiba. In a way, that would fit. Yami had access to Kaiba, as they figured it, and if Yami could be turned, then it would be easy for Takanawa to use Yami to kill Kaiba. It would be effecient and safe for Takanawa since he wouldn't be directly guilty of the crime. After all, Kaiba had been planning that very thing with Buck.

Sentoryou was staring at him with an increasingly glum expression. "I'm sorry," he repeated lamely.

Yami was usually a good judge of character. He'd had centuries to practice sensing darkness in others. People like Marik and Bakura fairly glowed to him with their evil intentions. Sentoryou, on the other hand, had never been this way. People could lie and hide their emotions, but they couldn't hide their natures from Yami. Bakura was the only person who had ever tricked him and that was because he was Ryou's darkness and could hide within Ryou's soul in the same way Yami had been able to do with Yugi. Sentoryou was just a man.

And Yami sensed no adverse purpose with Sentoryou.

He allowed a small smile on his face. "I believe you, Sentoryou."

tbc…


	53. Chapter 53

Chapter Fifty-Three:

Seto picked up the phone, intending to call Mokuba and tell him everything. It was Wednesday the 9th. He'd spent yesterday debating the pros and cons of informing his brother of everything that was happening after Takanawa had called him and had decided that Mokuba's safety mattered more than whatever anger would be directed at Seto.

So he dialed the familiar number and waited.

"Hi, Seto," Mokuba said. "How are you?"

"I'm fine." Seto decided to go ahead and go through with the expected pleasantries. "How is Marianne?"

"She's good. No more morning sickness. Her mother says none of the women in her family have it for very long."

"Uh-huh." What else was he supposed to say to that?

Mokuba chuckled, getting the message. "Anyway, you'll be proud of your little brother."

"Why is that?"

Mokuba sighed softly. "I fired my first employee. Actually, two. That's not really good to me, I just know how much you enjoy it."

Seto laughed, amused. Truth be, he didn't actually enjoy firing people, he just never shied away from it and never sugar-coated it. His reputation for quick and merciless was legendary. "Good to see I've taught you well. What happened?"

"I caught Taryn on top of the copier."

Seto frowned slightly. "Photo-coping her butt?" Stupid, but not really grounds for being fired.

"Um, sort of. Remember I said two employees? Michael was with her. Though they were photo-coping."

Seto snorted. "I see."

"Yeah. Have to admit, it was kind of funny watching them fall off the copier when I walked in. And everyone was staring at them as they walked out."

Seto laughed again. He'd almost forgotten what he'd called Mokuba for, but he stopped laughing abruptly. He really needed to just get it over with. But damn it, Mokuba was in a good place right now. Seto was a miserable person, but Mokuba never had been and now he had his new wife, a baby to look forward to, his own office to run, and his college life. Dragging his little brother into his problems was supposed to have stopped once Mokuba had moved out and gotten away from the curse that was Seto.

"Seto?"

"I'm here."

"Is something wrong?"

"Actually--" Seto broke off, sitting up straight on the couch. An idea had just occured to him, yet another against Takanawa. Could this one possibly work? Nothing had so far. He should be about up for some good luck.

"Seto?" Mokuba was beginning to sound concerned.

"Sorry, Mokuba. I think I just came up with the solution."

"Oh. What was the problem?"

Seto thought quickly. "There was a... Someone's stealing office supplies. I mean, using their I.D. to get in at night and take whole boxes of stuff, I guess to sell for their own profit. It has to be an employee because they get in through security easily and know where all the cameras are--they cover them. It would be too much trouble to search every employee walking out and too much trouble keeping a pen-by-pen inventory list." This was a stupid lie, but it oddly sounded plausible. "I think what I'll do instead is put one of those tiny spy cameras in the runner of the uppermost shelf. Or maybe more than one."

"Hey, good idea. Who's going to be looking in the runners of shelves?"

Seto nodded distractedly, despite the fact that Mokuba couldn't see it. Though his story had been a lie, the principle of that lie was his idea of how to get to Takanawa. The only real problem is that he had no idea whether Takanawa was smart enough to see through it or not. He was a Yakuza mafia man and whether or not he had standing in the family any more, he himself as a person had not changed. Despite what Seto thought of him, he had to be at least paranoid and clever if not out and out intelligent. Or else he wouldn't have lasted to whatever birthday he'd be celebrating next.

"Let me know how it goes," Mokuba was saying.

"I will." He decided to change the subject. Though he knew he really should, he just couldn't bring himself to tell Mokuba. It might be dangerous and stupid--Mokuba had a target painted on him--but he was so happy. Takanawa's threats were largely empty, because until he had his back up against a brick wall, there was really nothing he could do to Mokuba, not if he wanted to keep Seto at his beck and call. "When is Marianne due?"

"Um, August 3rd. But the doctor told her to expect the baby to come anytime between July 28th to August 11th."

"Then I'll be in England the first unless she goes into labor early."

"I'll call you if she does. Thanks for promising to be here when the baby comes, Seto. Marianne's really happy you'll be a part of it."

"She's welcome." Though of course Seto wasn't going just for Marianne. But he wasn't going to say that.

"Well, sorry to cut it short, but it's dinnertime."

"I'll talk to you later, Mokuba."

"'Bye, Seto."

They hung up and Seto considered his plan. He needed to work out every detail before he did it. This could be the very last chance he would get. It also seemed too easy, which made him worry that it was. Still, he had to try everything he could.

He got to his feet, walking through his house while he thought. A robotic dog. Easy enough; Seto could even make one by the twelfth if he was so inclined, but Takanawa would no doubt want some proof that the dog was stolen. After all, the bastard was no doubt still hoping Seto would slip up and land himself in jail. He knew nothing of the largely infallible magick involved.

Which brought him to another uncertain point. Should he just make the damn dog and fake it having been stolen? That could be easy enough. He would hack into the laboratory's mainframe, deliberately set off the alarms, and have the police rush over. They would make their report and the incident would make the papers, given the high profile merchandise that wasn't even due to hit shelves until November of next year. And Takanawa wouldn't be surprised that the alarms were tripped since Yami, drunk, had been stupid and punched his fist through the glass in the galleria way back when.

That was the other half of the question. If he didn't make a dog, considering that Takanawa might somehow know if he did, should he enlist Yami's help again?

There were pros and cons to that. Yami would be able to steal one of the robotic dogs with ease and it would be quicker and more effecient. And Seto could certainly trust him. But on the other hand, he didn't want to see him again.

Seto rubbed his forehead and glanced at the clock, realizing he'd wandered his way into the kitchen. It was nine-thirty, which surprised him. It was awfully early to go to bed, but he was getting a minor headache from thinking all of this over and over again and he really just wanted to go to bed.

So he did. He went upstairs and changed into a pair of pajamas and crawled into bed, pulling the covers up over himself and turning off the light, settling down into bed.

******

He woke up late the next morning. Glancing at the clock, he saw it was a little past ten. He'd slept for over twelve hours. He hadn't realized he'd been that tired, but he'd had a lot more than usual to think about. He must not have slept as much as he'd thought the last few weeks.

Seto got up and showered before heading downstairs for the breakfast his cook made. He felt refreshed after the long sleep, but his decision still had to be made. Make the dog himself, or have Yami steal one?

He supposed the smart thing to do would be to just follow orders. Play it safe when he had just this left, this last chance.

Damn it, though, that meant finding Yami and making another deal with him. He supposed he'd just have to pay him again. He didn't know what Yami would use the money for, but that was not his business and who couldn't use a few hundred grand?

With a sigh, Seto gathered his trench coat and left the house. Where to find Yami, though? He didn't know for certain, but surely the group didn't still live at the hotel. Yami had mentioned searching for an apartment. Perhaps the Fire Room?

Seto would rather check with the hotel first. So he had his driver head over there, but the woman at the front desk told him that the group had indeed moved out the day before.

"But I remember you're his friend," she said. She spoke quickly and with barely a pause for breath. Considering what he needed was to get in touch with him, Seto didn't correct her. Unlike the bitch at the strip club, this one was all to happy to help. "I don't know their new address, they didn't leave it since they didn't have any mail to forward--don't pay any water or electricity bills in a hotel, you know--and they didn't have any phone number to leave, but I can still help you. Yami works for my cousin, Annie. I got him the job, he and Joey seemed pretty keen to look for work, which is no surprise you know, since they need money to live off of, am I right?"

Seto had to bite his tongue to keep his mouth shut as the woman prattled on. She apparently didn't know that Yami and Joey had been strippers. He didn't bother to enlighten her, not that she would have heard him if she did. She was riffling through dozens of papers, folders, and sticky notepads on her desk.

"Yes, my cousin Annie just opened up her second store--art, you know, she's so talented. But it's not a gallery, though some of her work's displayed there. She sells art supplies, art books, and lessons. Teaches others to appreciate art the way she does. It's a pity more people don't like art anymore. Not real art anyway. Like my own son, Maxie. Of course Maxie's only fourteen, right at that age where all he's interested in is his Game Boy and hanging out with his friends."

Seto balled his fists. Would this woman never shut up? Finally she located what she was looking forward, pulling a small notepad out of the fourth drawer she tried. She'd flipped through the pages and found a sheet. Pulling off a clean one, she copied over the address and phone number and held it out.

"That's Annie's. Fine Art World, nice name, huh?"

Seto turned and walked out of the office without answering. One more minute in there and he would have sewn her mouth shut or taken one of the many pens on her desk and punctured his own ear drums. What a motormouth.

The address was Ten-Ninety Nuramara Ave. When the limo pulled up, Seto got out and studied the place for a second. It was a small niche in a line of them, with a huge picture window displaying an easel with a nice picture of a purple orchid in sharp detail on a softened, blurred background of leaves and branches. Littering the two-step shelf below the easel were paints, brushes, a palette, and three blank canvasses stacked in an angled pile. Very artsy.

Seto sighed and walked in. A little bell dinged as he walked inside. Fine Art World consisted of two large rooms vertical to the door and connected by an open archway. Each room had a large round pillar in the center that seemed less like supports than decoration. And in every direction were easels, canvasses, paints, brushes, palettes, varnishes, turpentine, clay, and every other type of art-related objects imaginable. The ceiling was mounted with a dozen large spotlights, each a different color, lighting each display with a different hue; red, amber, blue, green.

A woman was standing near a purple-lighted pedestal displaying a sculpture of a swallowtail butterfly taking flight. She was in her late thirties and no doubt the woman named Annie. Her hair was fiery and frizzy, except for two locks framing her face that were lightened to golden. She had cat-green eyes in a small, heart-shaped face. Her oufit consisted of black pedal-pusher pants, a light pink form-fitting shirt belted around her waist with a dark pink belt with an over-sized silver buckle. Around her neck was a long silver chain from which a triangular-shaped onyx pendant hung. Her striped hair was pulled back from her face by a wide pink scarf the same shade as the belt, the ends of which trailed down to her waist.

Annie spotted him at the same time he saw her and her eyes widened before she came over. A wide grin split her face and she suddenly clapped her hands.

"Oh, my! Look at you! I could so paint you."

Seto's words died in his throat and he just stared at her. "Excuse me?"

"Yes! Yes, just look at you! So statuesque, so handsome! Those fierce blue eyes, and look at your outfit, I love it! The brooding black accentuated by that wonderful white coat. And all of the straps, the buckles, so interesting!"

Seto stared at her, at a loss.

"Kaiba? What are you doing here?"

Yami had come from the second room, walking over to them with a slight frown on his face, looking at Seto with a wary expression. Annie looked at him with a wide smile. She put her arm around Yami's shoulders.

"Now, look at my newest employee! This is a man who brings style to anything. Look at this black, punk-rock outfit, the buckles and the belts and the cuffs. And this hair! Mm, I love his hair! The spikes, the colors! He's an artist's dream!"

Yami was looking incredibly uncomfortable. "Um, Ms. Benson, I--"

"I've told you already, Yami, you call me Annie. Ms. Benson makes me feel old."

"Annie, may I speak with Kaiba, please?"

She paused with a blank look on her face like she didn't understand the question, then a big smile spread across her face. "George! I need some more Greco-Russian clay mix out from the stock room!"

She went into the other room very briskly, like she had a time limit to get there, both of her arms held up in front of her like she was going to scrub up for surgery. Yami sighed and tucked his bangs behind his ear. Seto realized he was staring after Annie, so thrown off by the crazy storm that had just swept through the room.

"Kaiba?"

Seto looked down at him and managed to find his composure. He briefly considered taunting Yami about his being an 'artist's dream' but didn't for two reasons. He needed Yami in a good mood to get him to agree to help him and because Annie had just wanted to put *him* up on a stand and sculpt him.

Yet his mouth didn't seem to agree with his mind's logic. "So, better or worse than dancing?"

Yami gave him a glare. "Annie is not that bad."

"Right. Just nuts."

That brought a faint smile to Yami's face. "I suppose I shouldn't even ask why you're here."

"There wouldn't be any point in it, no."

"What do you need me to take now?"

Seto noted he didn't use the word 'steal' which was probably smart while they were there in the shop. Yami started walking over to a corner of the shop that was relatively secluded, occupied only by a three-tiered shelf displaying identical vases. Seto followed after him and gave him a run-down of his latest conversation and his newest plan.

Yami's eyebrow raised. He looked thoughtful.

"Can you do it?"

"Yes, of course. Do you think this will work?"

"I hope so. Fine, be at Kaiba Corp. Saturday at nine and we'll do it then."

He was surprised that Yami didn't protest being ordered. He just nodded, then looked over his shoulder as Annie came zipping out of the second room of the store, coming over to them. At almost that same moment the bells rang, heralding the arrival of three college-age girls wearing various helter-kelter oufits Seto supposed were supposed to be artistic. One even had a beret on her head.

"Yami, honey, see what those dears need, would you?"

Yami glanced at Seto. "I'll be there."

He turned and went to intercept the girls who were making a big thing of a sculpture that vaguely resembled a blue tumbleweed rising out of purple fire to Seto. Annie turned to him and smiled.

"Can I interest you in the fabulous French acrylic paints we just got in yesterday?"

"I can't begin to tell you how uninterested I am in acrylic French paints."

She blinked, still smiling, as if Seto's response had gone right over her head. He was beginning to wonder whether she could have used more ventilation the last time she'd made a masterpiece. She made a slight movement, shaking a lock of hair off her face and went wandering off. Seto stared at her for a moment, then shook his head and left the shop.

Now that he was out of Crazy Art World, he could get back to his plan. Despite how easy it sounded, there was a lot more he needed to do before he even had Yami steal the robo-dog on Saturday.

tbc…


	54. Chapter 54

Chapter Fifty-Four:

Sentoryou smiled brightly. Yami had just told him that he believed him when he said he had nothing to do with Buck's attempt to kill them. Yami wasn't sure if it was a good decision, but Sentoryou seemed so sincere. There was argument for his innocence.

And yet Yami kept a bit of suspicion to himself. The fact that Sentoryou was always present when things happened could be just odd coicidence, but it would be foolish to believe in that wholeheartedly. Buck was a minion of Takanawa and Sentoryou was Buck's uncle, which gave him a link to Takanawa, however roundabout and no link should be overlooked.

"Thank you, Shadow Flare." Sentoryou blinked and made an apologetic face. "I'm sorry, I know you're not Shadow Flare anymore. But since I don't know your real name..." He shrugged.

"Hey!"

Yami turned. It was Roger, standing right near the doorway leading to the stage. He winced slightly when Yami looked at him, but he stood firm. "You don't work here anymore. Get lost."

Yami turned with a smirk and headed towards the exit of the Fire Room. He paused at the bar, seeing Dana there, cleaning a whiskey glass with a cloth. She smiled when she spotted him, so he walked over to her, not caring in the least what Roger thought.

"Hey, Hot Stuff!" Dana said. "What's going on? You tick Roger off?"

"I quit."

Dana looked disappointed. "Aw, too bad. I'm going to miss you."

"I assure you, I'll miss you, too," Yami said truthfully.

Dana smiled, setting down the glass and the cloth. "Well, good luck then. I hope you'll come back and visit." She grinned and gave him a wink. "I'll have you dancing on the bartop for me sometime, I'm sure of it."

Yami returned her smile. "Goodbye, Dana."

She waved and headed down the bar towards a patron who had come up. She wasn't a sentimental woman, he'd learned that in the year he'd worked here. Yami turned and left the Fire Room. It was late afternoon, after six, but as it was March, the sun had not yet set. It was very cold outside, an early spring cold snap settling over the city. Yami hunched in his jacket as a wind blew against him, pushing his bangs back from his face.

Sentoryou had left with him, but when Yami turned towards him, he just smiled slightly. Maybe he understood that by not giving him his name, Yami was showing he did not entirely trust him.

"I agree with Dana," he said. "Good luck."

Yami looked up at him with uncertainty. There was a problem. If he didn't really believe Sentoryou's insistence that he was innocent, perhaps he shouldn't return home right away. Sentoryou could follow him. And yet, Sentoryou had known all along where he lived with Yugi and Joey before they'd been thrown out by Cheval and he had never attacked.

"Thank you."

Sentoryou nodded and slowly turned away. Yami stood and watched him walk down the street towards the nearest corner, where the white limo suddenly appeared. Sentoryou got into the backseat and the limo took off, disappearing around another corner.

******

Yami walked into the hotel room, tossing the keycard down on the table and sliding off his jacket. He'd just gotten home from the Fire Room, still feeling pretty good about finally putting Robert back in his place. And even better than that, he no longer worked at the Fire Room. He and Joey were both free of that place.

To Yami's relief, Yugi was standing by the stove. He was stirring something that smelled delicious and he turned and smiled when Yami walked in.

/Hi, Yami. I didn't think you'd be home for dinner!/

As Yami had had an evening shift, he'd told them he wouldn't be home until eleven. He hung up his jacket in the closet and turned towards the kitchen.

//Hello, Aibou.// Yami blinked, spying the note he'd left to Joey before he'd gone. //Did Joey not get this?//

/No. He's still asleep./

Yami glanced at the clock. Joey had gone in to sleep around 3:30. It was now a quarter after seven. Yami would suspect jet lag, except that Yugi didn't seem to be the least bit tired. Joey, on the other hand, seemed to be tired a lot lately.

/Are you hungry?/ Yugi asked.

//Yes, thank you.// Yami walked in to begin setting the table. He saw that Yugi had made stir-fry, rice, and tofu soup with chicken broth. //That looks good.//

Yugi smiled, but Yami could see he still looked vaguely upset. /Do you think I should go and wake him?/

Yami glanced at the closed bedroom. //No, not yet.//

Yugi was silent a moment, stirring the chicken and vegetables in the skillet. Yami finished setting the table, then glanced up as the bedroom door opened. Yugi turned around, his expression looking a mix of hopeful and anxious. Joey came out of the bedroom, rubbing one of his eyes, his face still pale from sleep and his clothes wrinkled. He stopped when he saw them, his gaze briefly flicking over Yami before coming to rest on Yugi.

"Hi, Joey," Yugi said tentatively.

Yami glanced between them. Joey came over and peered down into the pots and skillet, before looking at Yugi. He stared at him for so long that Yugi started to look away, dejected. Then a smile slowly appeared on Joey's face.

"Smells good, Yug'."

Yugi returned his smile twofold. It was clear that Joey's anger had melted, or at least that he was willing to forgive Yugi. Joey patted Yugi lightly on the back before going into the bathroom to wash up. Yugi set the food on the table with a visibly more cheerful mood and they sat down to eat companionably.

"So, Yami, something happen?" Joey asked. "You're home early. Didn't you have a shift today?"

"I quit the Fire Room," Yami said.

Joey looked up, pulling his chopsticks out of his mouth and speaking with his mouth full. "You did?"

Yami nodded, serving himself a second helping of the soup. "Yes. Patricia tells me her cousin Annie will give me a job at her art shop."

"Awesome." Joey grinned and swallowed his mouthful with an audible gulp.

"That's great, Yami," Yugi said. "An art shop? That might be interesting."

Yami agreed. "By the way, Aibou, Dr. Ashford wants to make an appointment for next week. What day would work best for you?"

"Doesn't matter," Yugi said with a sigh. "Did he say what it's about?"

"No, but I suspect it is just a regular check-up. You're supposed to have them periodically for the next year."

Yugi nodded, looking pensive for a moment before he raised his head and smiled. "Well, he'll probably just see how well I'm doing."

"You are doing well, Yug'," Joey said. "You can't even tell your back was broken when you walk."

"Yeah, but I do still have a ways to go. My legs still get tired pretty easily and I can't use stairs or run."

"That will come later, Aibou," Yami said. "You just have to give it time."

"Yeah, I know. But after a year off my feet, I just want to be normal again."

Joey was busy wolfing down a bowl of rice and stir-fry. Yami glanced briefly at Yugi, but made no comment. Yugi turned to his own dinner and the conversation lapsed. They finished the meal and Yami did the dishes while Yugi and Joey sat and watched TV. He'd volunteered for the chore to give the two of them time alone. He could hear them talking quietly beneath the noise of the TV and he smiled, setting the bowls upside down to dry.

"Joey, Patricia told me your sister called," he said as he joined them, settling down on Joey's other side on the couch. "She wanted to apologize to you."

Joey frowned slightly, then shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, I guess I'll give her a call tomorrow."

"Aibou, how about we set up your appointment for Tuesday?"

"That's fine, Yami. Maybe I'll be cleared to get a job myself so I can help you."

"Yes, perhaps."

Joey yawned, stretching. "Man, how am I tired? I just took a nap!"

Yugi looked up at him in concern. "You've been tired an awful lot this weekend. You went to sleep as soon as we got to Greece and you took a nap yesterday afternoon before the rehearsal dinner."

Joey shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, I'm probably getting a cold."

Yugi raised his hand and rested it against Joey's forehead. "You do feel a little warm."

"Great. Of course I'd get sick right when I'm supposed to start my new job."

"Would you like me to go and get you some medicine?" Yami inquired. "There is a gas station just down the street."

"Nah, Yami, it's not that big a--"

"You probably should jump on it early," Yugi said.

"Well... Yeah, I guess you're right. But I could get it myself."

Yami stood up and went to get his jacket out of the closet. "It is very cold outside. You'll only make your cold worse. I'll be back in few minutes."

He left the apartment and made the trip to the gas station. Returning with a small paper bag containing some aspirin, Nyquil, pepto bismol, and ginger ale, in case Joey got sick to his stomach. When he walked in, Joey and Yugi were sitting together on the couch, but now closer and the TV was off. They looked up when he entered and fell silent, but he had the feeling they'd been talking very seriously with each other.

Joey got up and took the bag from him. He peered inside and whistled. "Damn! No cold's gonna stand a chance against this arsenal. Thanks, man."

He walked into the kitchen area to store the ginger ale, then opened the Nyquil and took a shot. Swallowing the green medicine, he made a shudder. "Bleh."

Yugi smiled affectionately. Yami hung up his coat and went into their bedroom to change into his pajamas for the night. Yugi followed him in, changing into his own.

//So, how did it go?// Yami asked, knowing Yugi would know what he was talking about.

/Good, I think. I told Joey I was sorry for interfering with his family and I promised I wouldn't do it again. I think he forgives me./

//Of course he does, Aibou.//

/I know./ Yugi sat down on the edge of their bed and looked up. /I don't know why I did it. I guess...I just don't want Joey to miss out on his family, you know?/

Yami did understand. He sat down next to his hikari and put his arm around his shoulders. //I know you do, but Joey's family isn't like yours was.//

/I know that now./ Yugi sighed. /Boy, do I know now. I can't imagine someone yelling at their mother that way./ He shrugged his shoulders. /But I understand. I think he and I are going to be okay./ Yugi looked up at him and smiled. /I invited him to come out with a movie with me on Friday. He agreed./

//That's great, Aibou.//

Joey entered the bedroom and changed into his own pajamas. He looked over at them and smiled. "How about tomorrow we go down to the beach? Bet the sand'll be good workout for your legs, Yug'."

"Yeah," Yugi agreed. "I'd like that."

They went to bed then. Yami lay awake, looking at Yugi as he lay next to him. He then turned his head on the pillow and looked across the room at Joey where he lay in his own bed. He was glad they'd patched things up.

******

On Tuesday, the three of them entered the Shintaka Center. Susan was at the front desk and she was overjoyed to see Yugi. She came hurrying around the counter and wrapped her arms around Yugi.

"Oh, look at you, honey! Oh, I'm so happy for you!"

"Thanks, Susan."

"Good morning, Yugi." Dr. Ashford had just walked up.

"Hi."

"How do you feel?"

"Pretty good."

"Okay. Miyuki is going to show you to one of the exam rooms and I'll be there in just a minute."

The indicated nurse walked them into the empty examination room. She told Yugi to strip down to his underwear and then left. Joey asked Yugi if he wanted them to give him some privacy, but Yugi just laughed and pulled his shirt over his head. They only had to wait a little while before Dr. Ashford came in.

He took Yugi's blood pressure, listened to his heart and lungs, then tested his legs with the same instrument he'd used before. Yugi was a little disappointed that the feeling in his feet had not strengthened, but Dr. Ashford insisted that was no surprise. The chips bypassed the damaged area of his spinal column but didn't repair it. Yugi would never get full feeling to return to his feet and legs.

"But your muscles seem to have developed again quite nicely," he said, lightly squeezing one of Yugi's calves and then letting go and straightening up. "You've been doing all of your exercises?"

"Yes."

"Good. Well, Yugi, everything seems to be in good order. What I want to do now is take you down to the rehabilitation area and we're going to test how far you've progressed."

Yugi got dressed and they went there. In one section of the giant room, a small, mobile staircase on wheels had been anchored in place. It consisted of eight steps that seemed to be covered with shaggy carpet with handrails on either side and was sitting on a thick, protective mat.

"What we're going to do is check your strength, balance, and agility," Dr. Ashford explained. "Going up the stairs shouldn't be too difficult for you, but coming back down requires more balance and power. For now, I'd like you to take a firm hold of the handrail as you move up and down the stairs and to take your time. Let me know if you feel dizzy or shaky."

Yugi nodded and began climbing the stairs. Going up he seemed to have little trouble, though Yami could see that raising his entire body weight on a single leg was difficult for him. He made it all the way up the stairs and paused at the top before turning around and starting to come back down.

On the third step down, he suddenly grabbed the handrail with both hands as his left knee gave in. He hit the stairs, but didn't fall down since he was holding the rail. Joey gasped and started forward.

"Yug'!"

"I'm fine," Yugi said with gritted teeth.

He pulled himself up and then started down the stairs again. This time he made it all the way down without falling again, but as soon as he was at the bottom, he sat down on the bottommost step. Dr. Ashford walked up, holding his clipboard.

"Yugi, don't look so mad. You received heavier damage on your left side than your right and this is your first time attempting stairs since your accident. Now, is there any pain?"

"No. Maybe a little soreness."

"That's to be expected. Have you had any pain at all in your back?"

"Well..."

"Really, Yug'?"

Yugi fidgeted. "It's not that bad."

Dr. Ashford looked at Yugi severely. "Be honest, Yugi, it's important. Scale of one to ten."

Yugi lifted his chin. Though he looked slightly defiant, Yami was certain he was telling the truth when he said, "One. Maybe two." He suddenly looked down and shifted. "Maybe...four sometimes."

Joey made a slight noise of dismay. The doctor looked at Yugi closely, writing on his clipboard.

"Where is the pain generally located?"

"In my back, where the injury is. In my head, sometimes."

"Has it gotten worse since the chips were placed?"

Yugi looked down at the floor between his feet. He was silent for a long minute before slowly nodding and lifting his head again, looking up at them. Yami could see that he was worried admitting it would make Dr. Ashford insist he get rid of the chips.

"A lot worse?" Dr. Ashford asked. "Or just some soreness where the surgery was performed?"

"Not a lot worse."

"Any accompanying nausea, dizziness, muscle-weakness in your torso, or other strange symptoms?"

Yugi shook his head. "Nothing that I've noticed. I feel fine, really."

Dr. Ashford wrote on his clipboard before looking up. He asked Yugi to stand up, which he did. Yami could detect no trouble with it and when Dr. Ashford asked Yugi a final time if he felt sick or dizzy and received a negative answer, he seemed satisfied.

"I suspect the pain really is just something you'll have to live with, considering the injury to your spine. If you don't have any other problems, then I don't think there's anything to be concerned about, medically. The surgery implanting the chips in your body seems to have been performed perfectly. What I'm going to do is prescribe you some stronger pain medication. The prescription you're on now is fairly weak, and I guess I misdiagnosed the extent of the lingering effects of your original injury."

Dr. Ashford pulled a small pad out of his coat pocket and wrote on the top sheet, before tearing it off and handing it over. Yugi glanced at it and then looked back up.

"Get that filled immediately. Make sure you follow the directions for taking it to the letter. In one month I want to see you back here, but at the moment I don't think you really have anything to worry about. Spine and head injuries almost invariably end with life-lasting pain, I'm sorry to say. If you don't consider the pain to be inhibiting, then I don't see a problem. When you come back, I want to see how the new medicine is affecting you and how much advancement you've had with stairs."

"Well...maybe I shouldn't try them out of here," Yugi said reluctantly. "If I'm just going to fall."

"There's a factory that supplies hospitals, rehabilitation clinics, etc with equipment for those recovering from injuries like yours. Like these stairs. For home use, they make some with three steps. I'll put in an order for you and if you can give me your address, I can have it delivered so you don't have to come up here to get it."

"Oh, we don't--"

"We're in the process of moving," Joey said. "We don't have our address yet."

"That's fine. I'll put in the order and you can get me the address when you get it. It'll be at least two weeks before the company can get it shipped anyway."

"Thanks, Doctor."

"Of course, Yugi. I'm very proud of the progress you've made. You walk like you were never injured at all."

Yugi smiled. "Thanks. Doctor, there were a couple of questions."

"Of course."

"Do you think...could I get a job? I really want to help Yami and Joey."

Dr. Ashford looked considering. "Well... Okay, with constrictions. Only part-time. No more than twenty hours a week, no lifting over fifteen pounds, and I want you to sit down for five minutes every couple of hours. I want a promise that if you start feeling more pain or weak, you'll quit. But I don't think that will happen. You're very healthy and you're taking excellent care of yourself. We'll go over how that's working out for you when you come back next month."

"Thanks," Yugi said, looking relieved. "Also, what about driving?"

"No, not yet. Not until we see how you react to your new medicine and how more strenuous activity with your job goes. But we'll talk about it again next month, okay?"

Yugi nodded and this time he looked accepting rather than upset. After that, Dr. Ashford had him try the stairs one more time. He didn't fall, but when he did stop half-way down and sit down for a moment. Then he made it down to the bottom and seemed a tiny bit shaky, but he hadn't fallen. Dr. Ashford seemed satisfied and set up their appointment for the following month on the fifteenth of April.

When they left the clinic after several rounds of reunions and congratulations from the staff of Shintaka Center who were happy to see Yugi again and happier still to see him up and walking, Yugi seemed to be in a very good mood.

"I'll start looking for a job tomorrow," he said as they drove home to the hotel.

Yami saw Joey glance in the rearview mirror. "That's great, Yug', that you're back to normal."

"Almost," Yugi said, but with simple cheerfulness. "When I'm cleared, you can teach me how to drive."

"Promise," Joey said.

"Hey, Yami, want to go with me to put in some applications?" Yugi asked him. "Before you go in for your interview with Annie."

"Of course, I will, Aibou."

They returned to the hotel and Yugi set about making some lunch for them. Because Yugi couldn't work, he had taken all cooking and cleaning chores on himself. Now that he could, they'd take turns, but as Yugi pointed out, he wasn't working yet. He made them tuna fish sandwiches and celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins.

As they sat down to eat, Joey looked at Yugi. "So, you're really in pain?"

"It's not that bad, Joey."

"You said four."

"We'll get that prescription filled and I'll be fine. Look at me, I'm moving around without any trouble."

Joey frowned, but turned to his food without arguing further. Yami looked at Yugi as he bit into his own sandwich. It was true, that Yugi didn't seem to be limited in any way. Still, he wished Yugi had told them he was hurting.

//Aibou, please be open with us.//

Yugi looked over at him. /Yami, I just didn't want to worry you./

Yami could understand that. Had he not tried to keep his accidents with glass from them, and had he not succeeded in keeping the fact he'd been impaled by the piece of wood in the explosion? His injury had healed completely and he'd gotten his stitches removed without their knowledge. There was a U-shaped, three-inch scar on his side, and they were still ignorant of the incident. He'd tried not to let them know of anything that had happened.

//I know, Aibou.//

But Yami also knew that Yugi wasn't keeping his pain a secret just to keep from worrying them, though he knew that was a large part of it. Yugi was also afraid he'd be forced to give up the chips if Dr. Ashford had thought they were the cause for it. Yugi was so fanatical about walking again that Yami knew he wouldn't be able to give it up.

/Dr. Ashford gave me the pain medication,/ Yugi said, picking up a celery stick. /That's all I need./

tbc…


	55. Chapter 55

Chapter Fifty-Five:

Seto finished typing his report and saved it, turning off his computer. It was eight, giving him an hour before Yami was to show up. It was time to get started on his final checks for his plan. He took a drink from the bottle of spring water he had sitting on his desk and got to it.

He was going to get Takanawa's kid that damn robo-dog, but it wasn't going to come to the house innocently. Though he was sure Takanawa would suspect some foul play and would probably take the dog apart--or have a lackey do it--before he gave it to his kid to make sure there weren't any weapons or explosives in it, Seto wasn't planning on something that obvious.

Instead, he'd purchased three trackers and their accompanying remote sensors. He was going to put them in the dog and find Takanwa that way. At least, he hoped he would. The problem was, trackers could be found out, just like anything else, so he hoped to throw Takanawa off with a trick.

He would put the first tracker out in almost plain view, so that Takanwa would find it and get rid of it. Then, hopefully, he'd think he'd outsmarted Seto and overlook the others. Even if Takanwa found two of them, it was unlikely he'd find all three.

First, Seto had to make sure the trackers worked and that they'd work with electronic interference. He took the face plate off of his computer and set the first tracker inside, turning the sensor on and then the computer on and putting the face-plate back into place. He picked up the first sensor and walked away a few paces, having it locate the sensor. It beeped obediently and its screen lit up with a map of Domino. A tiny yellow dot flashed on the screen and Seto zeroed in. The map grew to the east side of Domino, then to the block housing the Kaiba Corp. building. The sensor honed in on the building itself. That was as acute as it could get, considering he didn't have a government-issue locator, but it was good enough. Seto just needed to know where Takanawa lived.

It also seemed to have no problem with the electronic interference of the computer. Seto removed the first tracker and put it back in its case then took the second tracker and stuck it in the base of the lamp on the table next to the couch Mokuba used to sit on when watching TV. He turned on the lamp and used the sensor. It, too, passed the test and Seto removed it.

The third tracker Seto stuck into a digital camera. He'd purchased the camera only for this purpose; the dog was going to be a piece of electronic equipment with no cord, giving off a different sort of electromagnetic energy, and the camera was a close equivalent. Seto would have liked to simply put the sensors in an electronic animal, the most assured test, but the techonology wasn't for sale, hence the reason Takanawa wanted one stolen.

A knock came to his door and he called for Yami to come in. He did, holding his jacket over one arm and holding the Rod and Ring in the other hand. The Puzzle was around his neck.

"What are you doing?" he asked, watching Seto zeroing in on the final tracker in the camera.

Seto explained while watching the yellow dot. It seemed to work just as well as the other two. But the a real test wouldn't be until the dog was sitting on his desk. And the final one when Takanawa had the dog in his house.

Seto sat down at his desk and removed the tracker from the camera. Yami walked up to the other side of it and stood watching him silently.

"Annie asked about you," he said abruptly.

Seto glanced up and glared at him. Yami looked amused.

"She really wants to paint you, you know."

"Tell her you'd be a better choice. You're already very experienced in posing for others."

Yami glared back before he smirked at him, tossing the jacket onto the floor and setting the Rod and Ring down on the corner of the desk.

"You can't tell me this doesn't do anything for you."

Yami raised his arms over his head, sliding his fingers into his hair. He began to rock his hips, undulating his body in a slow dance, his eyes taunting. He turned around to put his back to Seto, wiggling his hips again as he did before suddenly dropping his hands to clap his butt, looking over his shoulder at Seto with a heavily-lidded, seductive look.

Seto raised the camera. "Smile," he said, snapping a picture.

Yami gasped, dropping his hands and turning back around with wide eyes. "Kaiba!"

Seto grinned, glancing down at the display window. "Not bad. I should e-mail it to your boyfriend."

Yami came rushing around the desk. Seto got to his feet, holding camera above his head as Yami reached for it. He rested his other hand on Yami's shoulder, holding him back as he strained to reach the camera. Yami growled, trying push his hand away.

"Give me that!"

"Jump for it."

"Give that to me!"

Seto laughed, waving the camera teasingly over Yami's head. Yami abruptly hooked his foot behind Seto's and pulled while at the same time shoving Seto's chest with both hands. Knocked off balance, Seto fell into his chair, nearly dropping the camera. Yami jumped on him, trying to wrestle it out of his grip. Seto gave it to him, laughing as Yami straightened up on his feet and stared at the controls.

"Okay, you have it. Now figure out how to erase the picture."

Yami glared at him. Naturally he knew nothing about operating the camera, and not just because he was a reincarnated Pharaoh. He simply had never bothered to learn any sort of technology but the most common of tasks, Seto knew that immediately by the look on his face. Then Yami held the camera in one hand and started banging it on the desk like he was trying to crack a nut. Seto growled and grabbed him, pulling the camera away from him. He didn't care if it got busted but he didn't need dents in the wood top of his desk.

"Stop that, damn it."

"Delete it," Yami ordered.

"Why? I'm sure Sentoryou would like it."

Yami jumped on him again, trying to grab the camera. Seto laughed, holding the camera out of his reach. Yami snarled, then suddenly leaned forward and kissed him. Startled, Seto froze as Yami darted his tongue into his open mouth. Then Yami pulled back with a wicked smile, holding the camera in his hands. He got to his feet and Seto stared at him in shock. He'd just played a dirty trick.

"Thank you," he said cheekily.

Seto reached out and wrapped an arm around Yami's waist, yanking him back against him as he stood up in the same movement. Yami gasped and Seto heard the camera hit the carpet. Seto glared down at him for a second as Yami looked back up at him, his expression uncertain, but not afraid. Yami was never afraid of him.

Seto jerked his head down and claimed Yami's mouth, shoving his tongue inside, his other hand coming up to grasp Yami's chin and hold his head in place. He devoured him, dropping the one hand from the small of his back to his left leg and yanked him up, slamming him down on the desk top while still kissing him. A rattle and thud told him the Rod had been upset and fallen to the floor.

Yami groaned, his arms winding around Seto's neck as he struggled to take over the kiss. Seto broke it, shoving the Puzzle that had been digging into both of their ribcages out of his way, reaching down for Yami's belts and unbuckling them. He jerked open the button and zipper to his pants, then yanked him up, taking his mouth in another kiss. He kept one arm around Yami's waist, the other hand snagging the knocked-over water bottle as he began walking him backwards across the room until his back hit the rear of the couch.

Seto pulled his head back, lifted Yami into the air, and callously flipped him over the back of the couch. Yami hit the cushions and nearly toppled over the other side. He sat up on his hands, giving Seto a fierce glare, the effect of which was lost given his scruffed hair, half-untucked shirt, and open pants.

Seto calmly walked around the couch, setting the water bottle down on the coffee table before lunging forward, grabbing Yami's head between his hands and kissing him fiercely. Yami grabbed him back, growling. Seto opened his mouth, sliding his tongue against Yami's as he dropped his hands and unbuckled the neckbelt and threw it to the floor. He jerked his head down and pressed his lips to his neck.

Yami turned his head to the side, a rumble vibrating his throat. Seto worked his way downward, nibbling and sucking the skin, pushing his hands in under Yami's shirt. He ran his hands over Yami's stomach, feeling him shift under him, sucking a dark mark to the side of his throat. He shoved his shirt up to his neck and dipped down, sliding his tongue over one of his nipples. Yami arched a little with a moan, his hands running through Seto's hair and down over his shoulders.

Seto sat up and yanked Yami's shirt off, throwing it to the floor alongside the neckbelt, then going for his pants. He stripped Yami naked, though the little punk kept a firm hold of his Puzzle as if afraid Seto would throw it again--he would have--and break it like before, and then crushed his mouth against his, drawing his fingertips up his thighs before sliding his hands up along his torso. He kissed him until they were both gasping for air, before pulling back and sitting up on his haunches. He pulled his shirt up and off, then took off the rest of his clothes, leaving them both naked on the couch.

Yami sat up, reaching up to grab the back of Seto's head, drawing him down to kiss him. Seto parted his lips to his questing tongue, winding his arms around his waist and laying them down again. He let Yami explore his mouth for a minute before breaking it off and going down his neck once more. He bit at the juncture of his neck and shoulder and felt Yami's nails rake down his back. He sucked hard on the spot before going down further and licking at the previously overlooked nipple.

Yami groaned softly, and Seto saw him tilt his head down to watch him, fingers wandering over Seto's shoulders and back. Seto drew the nipple into his mouth and lightly sucked it, moving his hands down over Yami's stomach. He moved one down further and Yami arched up under him, gasping as Seto wrapped his fingers around him and stroked. He went up Yami's neck and to his left ear, nibbling the lobe while he tightened his fingers. He felt Yami trembling beneath him and lifted his head to look down at him.

He had his eyes tightly closed, his head tilted to the side from Seto kissing his ear, and his brow was furrowed. His cheeks were flushed and when he turned his face up and opened his eyes, they were dark and burning. His breathing was hitching from the movements of Seto's hand, his own hands curling into fists.

Seto held his gaze, still slowly pumping his arousal, watching and waiting for the final stroke. He leaned forward until their faces were only inches apart, but didn't kiss him, feeling his agitated breath fanning against his lips. At last the end came, causing Yami to arch and close his eyes, a barely audible moan escaping him. The hot seed poured against Seto's fingers and Yami relaxed back against the cushions, chest heaving as he caught his breath, eyes still closed. His cheeks remained flushed and Seto sat up on his haunches again, moving his slicked fingers down further between Yami's legs.

Yami groaned softly when Seto pushed the first finger into him, twitching away a little. Seto held him down with his free hand, knowing his body was still hypersensitive from his orgasm. He watched in amusement as Yami's expression scrunched up until he was biting his lip, his cheeks now as red as his eyes. Seto slid the second finger inside and scissored them before deliberately searching out his prostate, finding himself having to hold Yami down more strongly as the smaller bucked wildly.

"Kaiba!"

Yami's hands were clutching at his shoulders now, fingers digging in painfully while he writhed on the couch. Seto teased him unmercifully, ignoring his wordless begging, pushing the third finger inside and tormenting him. Yami's eyes snapped open and he looked half-mad, his mouth open as he gasped for breath. His nails were an ounce of pressure away from drawing blood, short as they were, and Seto decided he was testing Fate playing with him for much longer. The Puzzle was still around his neck, if hanging off the edge of the couch, and Yami looked like he was going to lose control, intentionally or not.

Seto removed his fingers, claiming Yami's mouth again before lifting his lower half and sliding into him. He swallowed his desperate moan, but held still and gave him a moment to relax. When Yami's fingernails weren't quite as close to leaving permanent impressions, Seto began to thrust, slowly at first. Yami had regained control of himself as quick as ever and was currently battling him for supremacy of the kiss. Seto gave in for the time being and had his mouth mapped out thoroughly before Yami broke away and put his head back down on the cushions, groaning as Seto sped up.

Bracing himself on one arm, his other still holding Yami up, Seto stared at his flushed face for a moment. He leaned down and traced his lips from one cheek, amazed at the heat beneath the skin, to his ear, which he nipped at. He hissed softly as Yami's nails scraped down his back again, realizing that he was certainly going to bruise where Yami was holding onto him so tightly.

Yami's head suddenly turned and Seto found his own earlobe being attended to. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the added sensations, putting more force into his thrusts and hearing the noise Yami made directly in his ear. He could feel Yami's renewed erection rubbing against his stomach but he ignored it, feeling the familiar burn in his abdomen.

Yami's mouth wandered down his neck, the feathery sensations in sharp contrast to the rest. Seto shuddered, his forehead now resting against the leather armrest, his breath coming in harsh pants. He felt one of Yami's hands leave his back and felt the vibration of his groan against his throat. His legs were starting to shake and he slammed into Yami forcefully, his own moans muffled against the couch.

"Ahh...Ah, Kaiba!"

That was the only warning he got before Yami came, the fingers of the hand still at his back digging in in five pressure points, his muscles bearing down on him. Seto gritted his teeth and thrust against that increased tightness, coming himself a second later. He groaned, opening his eyes, and slowly stopped, trembling so badly he could barely keep himself up. He withdrew, then didn't bother supporting himself, laying down on Yami as they both struggled for air.

Seto caught his breath and relaxed entirely, listening to Yami's rapid heartbeat beneath his ear, feeling the damp heat of him slowly cooling down. He closed his eyes and waited for his own pulse to return to normal, absently feeling Yami's hand slide lightly down his back, afterglow buzzing his nerves.

After a long moment or two of rest he levered himself up, checking to make sure Yami was still awake. He was, looking up at him quietly. Seto leaned down and softly kissed him before sitting up properly. He fished a seldom-used handkerchief out of his coat and the bottle of water and cleaned them both up before getting to his feet and redressing.

Yami followed suit, though he was still looking at him the entire time. Seto turned his head and caught his gaze.

"Ready to begin?" Yami inquired lightly.

Seto smirked to himself. They'd had their tryst. Now it was back to business.

tbc…


	56. Chapter 56

Chapter Fifty-Six:

Yami walked with Kaiba down to the latter's sleek red convertible. He got into the passenger seat, shutting the door and buckling his seatbelt. Kaiba got into the driver's seat and buckled his own, starting the engine and pulling out of Kaiba Corp's parking lot.

"How many of these cars do you have?" Yami asked, peering out of his window at the dimly lit business district. Most of the buildings were completely empty, closed for the weekend.

"More than I thought I'd need before all of this started."

Yami smiled a little. He fell silent and merely watched buildings, trees, and roads pass by his window. Kaiba was silent as well, merely driving with a steady purpose towards their destination. It would be after two in the morning before they reached the laboratory making the robotic animals in Tokyo, which was the best time to do this. Early morning hours would have the least likelihood of people around to witness.

As they drove into the farthest outskirts of Tokyo, Yami toyed with the Ring around his neck. For so long, the former owner of this magickal talisman had been the bane of his existence. Bakura was now long gone, but the Ring still made Yami nervous. Unlike his Puzzle, the aura of the Ring always seemed cold and ominous, moreso than just the usual sense of the Shadows contained within. Having it rest against his chest made him feel anxious and ill-tempered and he wondered if the Ring had absorbed so much of the Shadows and so much of the evil of its former owner that it messed with his heart whenever he wore it.

Yami pulled the leather thong over his head and let the Ring rest in his lap alongside the Rod. He'd held all of the other Items before and used most of them and none of the others made him feel the way the Ring did. Still, it was necessary to use it. Its abilities to make the user invisible and to erase the memories of people's minds were invaluable in these times.

It wasn't long after that that Kaiba pulled the car to the very far edge of the factory's expansive parking lot and turned off the engine. They were sitting at the curb of the sidewalk that went around the laboratory's property. The parking lot itself was shut down for the night, a pair of wooden drop-bars crossing the entrance and exit lanes, overseen by an empty guard station. A hundred and twenty yards of white-lined asphalt spread between them and the enormous, six-story robotics laboratory.

"Where do you suppose the robot dogs are?" Yami asked.

"I have no idea. You'll just have to hunt them down."

Yami sighed and held out the Ring. "You know you don't really need me if you want me to teach you how to use this."

Kaiba leaned backwards with a scowl. "I don't want to touch that thing."

Yami smiled and pulled it back. He laughed, putting the thong of the Ring around his neck and letting it hang against his chest with the Puzzle, ignoring the unsettling prickling he felt like he did every time. Kaiba was glaring at him.

"Why is magick so scary?"

"Why haven't you learned how to drive or use a camera?"

Yami snorted and opened his car door. He supposed Kaiba did have a point. He was living in the modern world now and he'd never even tried to learn how to operate any sort of appliance outside of what was necessary in every day life, like the stove. Kaiba would probably laugh himself hoarse if he realized Yami didn't even know how to program the DVR.

He activated the Ring's power and disappeared from view. It was a little odd to be invisible even to his own eyes, but he was getting used to it the more he used the ability.

He walked across the parking lot and finally reached the robotics laboratory. He wandered around the outside of the building, looking for a suitable place to enter. Around the back of the building he found a fire escape. The bottom ladder was pulled up, to keep people from going up it, but Yami merely scooted the garbage dumpster down a couple of feet or so and vaulted up onto it, his gloves on his hands so he didn't leave fingerprints. From there he jumped up and caught the bottom rung of the ladder. It slid down slowly, forcing Yami to have to hang on and ride it down. Finally it extended fully and he climbed up it.

Yami went all the way up to the top floor, facing one of the large windows, deciding it would be the best place to enter the building. Of course he was going to be setting off the alarms, but he was likely to do that no matter where he tried to enter. Also, if Takanawa wanted it to be clear that Kaiba had stolen the dog, setting off the alarm was probably the way to go. Hopefully Kaiba would drive off if he heard the alarms go off or police sirens on the way.

Yami drew back his fist and punched it through the window, his leather glove protecting his hand. The glass shattered and rained down on the carpet inside the window frame and down to the ground far below. Yami slipped into the top floor, and sure enough a loud klaxon started. Ignoring it, though it stung his eardrums, Yami walked across the floor, peering around as he went. He was in a lab, but he saw no robotic dogs. Instead, it looked like mostly computer chips.

He walked across the room to the door and opened it. Outside in the hallway, the alarms continued to go on and the dim lighting was punctuated by strobes of brighter flashes accompanied by each squeal. Yami walked down the hallway briskly, peering inside every room. He didn't need to sneak considering no eye or camera would be able to detect him.

Twice while he was searching, security guards went rushing past, guns drawn and ready, searching. Yami merely stood with his back to the wall and let them run past him before going on his way again. They couldn't see him and as long as he was quiet, he'd be fine.

The room he was looking for was all the way down on the second floor, which irritated him. He should have broken in the bottom window and gone up.

The lab room was one of the biggest he'd seen and a shelf helpfully held six finished robot dogs. Three more rested on different tables, partially finished. In other areas were various limbs, heads, and computer parts.

Yami walked up to the shelf and peered up at the dogs. Three were grey metal with black eyes, one was covered with a pink plastic shell and looked like a poodle, one had a blue plastic shell and looked like a german shepherd, and the last had a black shell and looked like a doberman. He reached up and swiped the blue one, along with a small black plastic case that leaned against its side. It looked exactly like a briefcase. Why the inventors thought a dog needed a briefcase, he didn't know, but he was sure whatever was inside was pertinent to the dog. Part of him wanted to take the pink one, just to piss Takanawa off, but he was sure that would cause more problems than they needed.

Within the field of the Ring, all objects turned invisible, such as his clothes. Yami stuck the dog and the little briefcase inside his jacket and they became invisible. Holding the bulge so the dog didn't slide out from the bottom and hit the floor, Yami turned and left the lab.

He opened the door nearly in the face of the guards, who'd come back down from the top floors, cursing the fact they couldn't find the intruder. He had to backpedal in a hurry as the guards yelled in surprise and came running forward. He ducked around a table and stood in silence as they drew their guns again, eyes searching everywhere. The three guards split up, wandering around the lab and peering under every table, around every corner, inside every cranny, now sounding spooked since they couldn't see what had opened the door.

Yami slipped out of the door and down the hall, making it to the ground floor where he had no choice but to break another window. He climbed out through it and outside. Now adding to the alarms of the broken-into laboratory were the sirens of police cars. Yami paused and watched as two cop cars screeched into the parking lot, shattering the wooden crossbar over the entrance lane, and raced across the asphalt to the front doors of the building. He waited until they'd come to a stop before walking around them, ignoring the shouting cops who poured out of the cars and ran to the front doors to be greeted by one of the security guards.

He could see that Kaiba's car was no longer where it had been before. He'd had to leave when the alarms started. Undisturbed, Yami continued on across the parking lot towards the exit. Out on the sidewalk, he glanced around, briefly allowing the Ring's invisibility to falter for a second in order to appear if Kaiba was looking for him. He turned his head just in time to see the double-flash of headlights from a side street a block down. Kaiba had seen him and was signaling him.

Yami turned and walked down the sidewalk towards where Kaiba had his car. He got into the passenger side and removed the Ring, becoming visible once more. Kaiba put the car into gear and took off, back towards Domino. It was two-thirty in the morning and the roads were all but empty.

"Have fun?" Kaiba asked. "You sure made a lot of noise."

Yami pulled the dog out of his jacket and set up on the dashboard along with the case. "I'm sorry, I must have forgotten to pick up the key from you before I went."

Kaiba smirked and they fell to silence. The drive back was uneventful and finally they were back in Domino. It was past four in the morning and Yami was exhausted. He could see that Kaiba was tired as well.

"Where do you live now?" Kaiba asked with a sigh, pausing at a red light.

"The Ridge Apartments on Executive."

Kaiba grumbled and Yami didn't blame him. The apartment complex was nearly directly across town from his mansion. He half-expected Kaiba to tell him to get out and walk, but he didn't. Instead, he drove him all the way to the single-story apartment complex and pulled into the space next to Joey's car.

Kaiba reached into his coat pocket and pulled out his checkbook, flipping it open. Yami watched as he pulled a fancy silver pen out of the same pocket and he made a decision. Reaching over, he batted the checkbook closed again.

"Consider that a favor."

Kaiba looked at him for a second. "I don't like owing favors."

Yami smiled. "Then consider it a gift."

He got out of the car and then hesitated, peering back in at Kaiba, watching as he put his checkbook back into his jacket.

"Let me know how it goes."

Kaiba looked back at him and nodded. He transferred the robot dog and its briefcase from the dashboard to the passenger seat. Yami shut the door and walked up to the front door of unit B. He pulled out his keys and unlocked the door, walking quietly inside as Kaiba backed out of the space and turned around, driving back out of the complex's parking lot.

Yami set his keys down on the front table and took off his coat and gloves, stuffing his gloves into the coat pockets and hanging it up in the front closet. Yawning, he walked into his bedroom.

The apartment was a three-bedroom townhouse second in a line of five. Fifteen townhouses made a square-cornered U, all of them single-story three-bedrooms. It was a very nice place, with a combination living room/dining room, separate kitchen with checkered white-and-black tiles, hardwood floors in the three bedrooms, and wine-colored carpet in the main room and hallway. It had a bath and a half, and came with a washer and dryer. But best of all, it was a single-story, which was perfect for them.

Yami undressed and climbed into bed. It was four-thirty and he was going have a short night's sleep.

******

The next morning, Yami opened his eyes groggily as Joey knocked on his door. The blond was peering into the room, a smile on his face. He knocked again, even though the door was open, and walked in a few paces.

"Rise and shine, Yami. Yug's busy making a breakfast of kings. Remember we're supposed to meet Tea, Tristan, and the others?"

Yami sat up, rubbing his left eye. He'd forgotten. On Friday, they'd received a call from Tea, who'd managed to find out their number through the Shintaka Center. Though Yugi had been out for a couple of months, none of their old friends had been able to find time to come and visit. Tristan was still an associate at a very prestigious law firm and hadn't been able to get time off until that weekend. Tea had been on tour with her dance troupe and hadn't even known Yugi was out of the Center until the week before and had decided to come with Tristan so they wouldn't have to entertain guests two weeks in a row. Duke had heard of Joey and Serenity's feud from Serenity and had called initially to see if he could help patch things up. After receiving an earful from Joey for interfering the same way Yugi had, he'd promised to show up when the others did to congratulate Yugi on his recovery.

So that afternoon the three of them were due to arrive at the apartment around two. Since they'd just moved in on Thursday, they hadn't had time to wreck the place, so there was very little cleaning up involved.

"All right, I'm up."

Joey started to leave the room before pausing and turning back around. "You okay, man? You look kind of pale."

"I didn't sleep well," Yami said truthfully. Did Joey know he hadn't gotten in until after four?

Apparently he did. "No surprise, seeing as how you were painting the town red 'til this morning."

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

"Nah, I was up." Joey looked like he was going to ask questions, but then turned and left the room.

Yami slowly climbed out of bed and gathered some clean clothes to change into. He supposed Joey had a suspicion what Yami had been doing. He knew all about Kaiba and Takanawa and though Yami had told him it was over, Joey was not completely oblivious. He was sure his friend was worried about him, but Joey had clearly decided not to try and hinder his decisions. He had just yelled at Yugi, Serenity, and Duke for doing just that themselves.

Yami got changed and left his bedroom. Now that he was up, he could definitely smell the delicious scents of frying eggs, bacon, and potatoes. Though Yugi had been cleared to get a job on Tuesday, he wasn't going to start looking until Monday, instead staying at home to first pack up their things to move to the Ridge Apartments and then to unpack once they had moved. As long as he didn't try and pick up the boxes once they were packed, he could do all of it by himself. With Joey and Yami both working their own jobs, he had done most of it alone.

Outside in the hall, Yami ran into Joey.

"Hey, Yami, you're okay, right?"

Yami knew what Joey meant. He was worried about him and had thought of Kaiba and Takanawa as the cause for Yami's late night.

"Yes, Joey. I'm fine."

Joey nodded slightly. Yami could see the disapproval on his face. He didn't trust Kaiba and never would. And like any of their group, he was fiercely protective of his friends, but at times he did recognize Yami's ability to take care of himself. This was one of those times. He rubbed Yami's shoulder.

"Okay. Just remember we're here."

He let go and walked out into the main room. Yami smiled at his back and followed after to find Yugi standing in the small kitchen off the dining half of the front room, stirring a skilletful of fried potatoes. Already on two plates were stacks of eggs, bacon, toast, and even previously-frozen waffles.

//Aibou, you know we're not supposed to have company until after breakfast, right?//

Yugi smiled at him, deftly scooping the potatoes onto an empty plate. /Yeah, I know. Eat up./

Joey whistled as Yugi set the plates down on the table. "Damn, Yug'. I think maybe even I couldn't eat all of this."

"Right, Joey," Yugi said dryly. "That I believe."

Joey chuckled and helped himself. They all tucked in and it proved not to be too much for the three of them to eat, at least. Afterwards, pleasantly full, Yami did the dishes while Joey and Yugi split up to do what little straightening up there was to do.

Almost precisely at two, a knock came to the door and Joey let in Tristan, Duke, and Tea. The three men hugged each other fiercely with laughs and some playful upright wrestling while Tea dodged around the group and immediately made a beeline for Yugi.

"Yugi!" She hugged him. "Oh, I'm so happy to see you! How are you?"

"I'm fine, Tea. Thanks. It's good to see you. How have you been?"

"Fine, but enough about me. When did you start walking again?"

They walked over to the couch and sat down while Tristan, Joey, and Duke stopped trying to see who was still the strongest and came over. Tea hugged Yami as well, which Yami accepted, though he was always a little uncomfortable around the brown-haired girl. He well-remembered her feelings for him, her feelings for Yugi, and the conflict she had about who she liked better. He still didn't know what she really thought of the reality of their feelings.

Duke and Tristan said hi to Yami, asked him how he was, and then turned their attention to Yugi, who gave them an account of the last nearly seventeen months. Tea broke into tears at least twice and hugged Yugi a dozen times. Tristan and Duke were quiet until Yugi was finished talking before they all offered their condolences.

Yugi was somber, but he didn't cry once. Tea had brought Yugi a present, which turned out to be a picture of Yugi's last birthday before the accident, which Tea had taken with her camera set on automatic. Yugi was sitting at the Moto dining room table with his parents on his left and his grandpa on his right, and Joey, Yami, and Tea in the foreground.

"I didn't know if it would be too soon," Tea said hesitantly, holding the framed picture out to him. "But I thought you might want it."

Yugi looked down at the photograph for a long time. He lightly touched the picture with one hand before a trembling smile appeared on his face.

"Thanks, Tea. I do want it. None of Mom's pictures survived."

Tea broke into tears again, hugging Yugi once more. This time Yugi closed his eyes and everyone was silent. Then he opened them and managed another smile. Yami could see that Yugi needed a change in topic.

"Tea, you just returned from...Paris?" he asked.

Yami didn't miss the feeling of gratitude from Yugi. Luckily Tea took the hint and nodded, sniffling and wiping her cheeks. "Yeah. Our troupe just completed a three-show weekend in Paris, and before that it was Germany. We're going to San Francisco next weekend."

"That's great," Yugi said. "When will you be doing a show in Japan?"

"We'll be in Tokyo, but not until July."

"Doesn't matter, I'll be there. Front row, I promise."

Tea giggled and hugged him for the umpteenth time. Yugi turned to Tristan. "What about you? How's the law firm?"

"It's going pretty good. I got a case starting the twenty-sixth."

"What about?"

"A man named Cheung robbed a busload of American tourists with a couple of friends. He's up for a lot of crimes, but no one was hurt. The prosecutor thinks we'll be able to convict him and his buddies without any trouble."

"Hey, man. Awesome." Joey held up his hand for a high-five. Tristan grinned and slapped it. Joey picked up his soda and took a drink, then coughed, setting it back down. "Sorry. Went down the wrong pipe."

"That sounds big, Tristan," Yugi said. "I hope you win. What about you, Duke? Joey told me a while ago that you have some sort of tournament with a guitar game?"

"Yeah, that was last month, actually. What can I say? Unfortunately America's really moving away from Duel Monsters. This new guitar game is really picking up a fanclub so the Black Crown hosted a tournament. And you'll never believe who won. An eleven-year-old girl."

Joey laughed. "Really? I'll bet that was a kick in the balls for all the guys." He saw Tea looking at him and flushed. "Uh, sorry."

Duke grinned. "She says she wants to be part of a girl rock band when she gets older. I'd say she has a pretty good chance of that."

They visited for a while longer before the group got up to get dinner together. Despite the enormous breakfast Yugi had made that morning at ten it was almost six and they were hungry. The group went down to the old burger-joint hang-out they'd used to go to and spent another hour and half chatting over burgers and fries.

Finally Tea, Duke, and Tristan decided to head to the hotel they were staying at for the night. Joey and Yami both had work the next morning but the three others invited Yugi to join them for breakfast and then head out to the movies. There was a movie out that Tea and Tristan both wanted to see and Yugi was just happy to go with them. And Duke would just go with them.

"Hey, Joey, it was good to see you," Tea said as they were saying goodbye. "But did your appetite die any? You look like you've lost some weight."

Joey shrugged his shoulders. "Nah. Ask them, I still eat everything in sight." He grinned and waved. "Hey, Duke. Make sure to invite us to the Black Crown sometime. If there's a new game craze going on, maybe we should give it a try."

Duke laughed. "Well, I'm not going to be back in Japan to stay until August, but I promise that you three will have first invitations."

They parted company and Yugi, Joey, and Yami went home. Yami was very tired after such a short night and a long day, and was eager to get some sleep. He started to say goodnight to Yugi when his hikari stopped him.

/Hey, Yami? Can I ask you something?/

//Of course.//

/It's about Joey. Tea kind of brought it back up. Does he look a little thin to you, too?/

Yami glanced appraisingly at Joey, who was standing in the kitchen, drinking juice from the carton. Having his hand up while he was holding the carton to his mouth allowed his shirt to hang right against his chest and stomach. And Yami could see that it was true, Joey did look like he'd lost some weight.

//Yes, he does.//

"Joey?" Yugi went into the kitchen.

"Yeah, Yug'?"

"Do you feel better? You were coughing last night."

Yami didn't know that part. Of course, he'd been out until the early morning and now the reason for Joey's being awake was pretty obvious. Joey put the top back on the carton and put it back in the refrigerator.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a cough hanging onto me."

"It's just...you look a little thin. Even Tea noticed."

Joey shrugged his shoulders. "I've been sick."

He suddenly started coughing right then. Yami frowned, stepping to the entrance to the kitchen, listening. The cough was very dry and short. It didn't sound like something to be worried about, more like Joey had a tickle in his throat. Joey licked his lips and shrugged again, smiling. His smile faded when Yugi reached up rest his hand against his forehead.

"Joey, you're awfully warm. I think you have a fever."

Joey frowned and pushed Yugi's hand away. "I'm fine. But if I don't feel better by Tuesday, I'll make a doctor's appointment, okay?"

Yugi nodded, seeming placated, and yawned, stretching. "Okay. If you feel worse tomorrow, just let us know."

"Night, Yug'. Night, Yami."

"Goodnight," Yami said.

"Night."

They turned in.

tbc…


	57. Chapter 57

Chapter Fifty-Seven:

Seto sat down at the lab table. It had been a long time since he'd been down here; he hadn't had any hands-on mechanical work. Not since he'd invented his Duel Disk system had he used his hands. Now he had the robo-dog to play with.

The dog was a foot-long robot with a blue-plastic shell and looked vaguely like a german shepherd. It came with something that looked oddly like Seto's briefcase, but when Seto opened it, he found a remote control, a pair of small food/water dishes, a metal bone, a cloth collar and leash, and a red rubber ball that felt twice as heavy as it should. According to the dishes, the dog had the entirely unique name of Rex.

Seto started out by making sure the damn thing worked. All he needed was for Yami to have unintentionally stolen a dud. All that was needed was two size-D batteries in the dog and three double-As in the remote and Seto put those in, switching the remote control on. An encouraging red light turned on and Seto picked up the dog, turning it over.

It had a triple-slide switch on its belly labeled 'off,' 'on,' and, interestingly, 'live.' Seto pushed the switch to that position. The dog suddenly barked in his hand and started walking in place. Seto turned it upright, seeing a single small blue light on in each of its eyes. He set it down on the floor and watched as it walked across the floor, waddling like a penguin but steady. It barked a couple times more, then sat down on its haunches. The head turned left and the left hind leg raised up. It was scratching its ear. The dog got back onto its feet and continued walking, turning its head this way and that as it barked.

Seto picked up the rubber ball and saw it also had an on/off switch. He turned it to on, then rolled the ball across the floor. The dog turned towards the ball, then shuffled its way faster across the floor towards the ball, no doubt honing in on a signal pulsing from the ball.

The dog opened its mouth and awkwardly scooped up the ball, then turned and came back towards Seto, this time probably following the signal from the remote. It trundled across the floor and stopped, letting go of the ball, which rolled against Seto's foot.

Well, he had to admit, that was pretty advanced robotics. He reached down and picked up the ball, turning it off. The dog turned its head, exactly like a real dog wondering why its master had put the ball up rather than throw it again. Sneering, Seto snatched up the dog and turned its switch to 'on'.

The dog's eye-lights remained on, but the dog was lifeless. Seto set it down on its feet and picked up the remote control. There were six buttons with the labels walk, speak, sit, scratch, eat, and lie down and what looked like a little steering wheel. There was also a screen and when Seto pushed the green button next to it, he was surprised to see the window light up with a picture of the table leg. The dog had a camera in its face somewhere and the remote control showed what it saw.

The dog was like a game now. The remote control let the owner move the dog around and the camera showed that owner what was in the dog's way. It was a slow, lumbering video game. Seto tried each of the buttons, saw they were all working, then turned off the remote control and the dog and returned everything to the case. He hadn't tried the bone, but he was going to let that slide. It was working.

Now to get down to business. Seto put the dog up on his table and got his toolbox. He started with the remote and pried open the casing. Inside was a tangle of wires and chips. Seto ignored them and picked up his first tracking sensor. He merely taped it to the inside of the casing and snapped it back into place. That was the one he expected Takanawa to find. It was the most obvious place to put one.

Next he pried the blue casing off the back of the dog. The batteries went in the belly, which made the back the only place to put the tracker. Prying off the case broke it, but that didn't matter to him. He slipped the tracker inside and taped it down before turning back to the case. He got up and grabbed a hot glue gun and goggles and returned to the table. Putting on the goggles, he turned on the glue gun and attached the small broken plastic piece back into place and glued the casing piece back. He carefully cleaned up the excess before it could dry and studied his work very closely. As far as he could see, there was no way to tell that the casing had been removed and put back into place.

He thought for a minute about where to put the third tracker. Though the casing looked perfect, it was a fairly obvious place to put one.

An idea came to him and he pulled the dog up, propping its mouth open. Inside was a red-plastic tongue behind two rows of rounded white-plastic teeth. Seto pried out the tongue and then split it along the seams and opened it up. The tongue was hollow, to save money on plastic, which worked just fine with him. He put the tracker inside and sealed the tongue up the same way he had the back of the dog. Soldering the tongue back into the mouth, he shook the dog a little, making sure it stayed in place and it did.

Seto turned the dog back on to make sure the trackers didn't interfere with it. The dog acted like before and Seto turned if off, satisfied.

******

Seto didn't hear from Takanawa until March 25, nearly two weeks after he and Yami had stolen the dog from the laboratory, which surprised him. The break-in, messy as it was, had been splashed all over the front-page news and TV headlines. While police were baffled that no one had shown up on the security cameras and frustrated by the lack of evidence left behind, they were actively seeking the stolen dog. The mechanical mutt had serial numbers on its parts and if any of those parts turned up, all those involved in the buying and selling would be prosecuted.

Despite all of this coverage, Takanawa didn't call until lunch time on that Friday afternoon two weeks after the event. Seto would have thought he would have wanted the dog right away; less time for Seto to mess with it. Was he that stupid or that confident?

"Hello, kiddo," Takanawa said cheerfully when Seto picked up his phone. "You've made quite a ruckus. I'm so proud. But I have to admit, you didn't use as much finesse as you usually do. In fact, the only other time you even left an obvious calling card to theft was the galleria. I wonder what the similarity is."

Seto ignored the implied question. "I have the damn dog."

"I gathered that much. My son is going to be so happy. He's been looking forward to his birthday quite eagerly since I told him what I'd have for him."

"I thought birthdays were supposed to be about surprises."

"Eh. I never did like surprises. I'm glad you got on this so quickly instead of waiting around. I think I'll have the dog now, rather than waiting until April. So meet my new associate at Hideko Station at one a.m. tonight with the dog."

"When are you going to stop flirting and meet me yourself, if you're so not afraid of me?"

"Nice try."

Takanawa hung up. Seto put his own phone down and considered. One a.m. at a train station wasn't actually that dangerous for him. It wouldn't be crowded, but there would be other people there. Still, he couldn't help but think that Takanawa had to be getting tired of this game. He wanted Seto to slip up so he'd have the pleasure of watching his world fall just like his own had, but since that didn't seem to be happening any time soon, he probably would soon just want to kill Seto and be done with it. Meeting his associate alone was probably not a good idea.

On the other hand, his only other option was to bring Yami with him, and he didn't want to do that. First, he liked handling things his own way and bringing Yami along as a bodyguard would hurt his pride. Second, though Yami had his magick and could easily deal with whomever showed up, he wouldn't be able to get to Takanawa without knowing where he was and they'd just be in the same situation they were now.

Logically, Seto didn't think this would be the time Taknaawa would have him killed. He wanted the dog for his boy. If Seto went to the station and was killed, the associate would have a time getting out of the station without being caught. There were station guards to get through, then the police, who would be called by what frantic witnesses there were. If he were caught, the dog would be returned to the laboratory. And there was a very small chance of him killing Seto in the station, getting away with it, and returning to Takanawa's mansion without being followed.

So what to do? Swallow his pride and ask Yami to come with him or go alone and hope for the best?

He decided to go alone. But he took his gun with him.

At one a.m. he was standing on the station platform, waiting. There were other people there. Two tired-looking blue-collar workers were sitting on benches waiting for the train to arrive and a subway janitor was cleaning up trash from the floors. A little ways down the platform was the ticket office, manned by a single, bored old man.

Seto did his best not to be seen. He was wearing a black suit and tie in order to look less noticeable than if he were wearing his more traditional trench coat. He kept his face from the rest of those on the platform and looked up the stairs.

At one-oh-five a man came down the stairs towards him. Seto knew instantly it was Takanawa's new man. He was of the same vein as Buck: big and beefy and mean. He was also twice as ugly as a gibbon with the flu. The expected neanderthal forehead was covered with greasy black hair the texture of oiled steel wool, but he also had a squashed and pig-like nose, thick lips, and a lazy eye. When he smiled, his teeth looked rotted and Seto noticed he was missing his right index finger. Whether by accident or as punishment, this was a man not to pick a fight with.

The atmosphere on the station changed noticeably. The people behind him had noticed the newcomer and were nervous, but too afraid to get up and try to leave since the stairs were blocked. Seto ignored them and kept his face to the associate.

"You got it?" the man asked in a low voice.

"Yeah." Seto held out a simple brown-leather briefcase he'd stuffed the dog and its own accompanying case in.

"Boss wants me to tell you you try anything involving his kid and all bets are off with your brother."

"How stupid do you think I am? There's no bombs in there."

"Believe me, he's going to check that out before he gives the dog to his boy. There better not be bombs, or poison, or even sharp edges in there, got it?"

Poison. Seto hadn't thought of that. Stuffing the dog full of anthrax or something might have been a good way to go, but probably too risky. For one, trying to steal such things would have been three times as hard as stealing this toy from the manufacturer. For all its high-tech gizmos, it was just a toy company like his own. But stealing poisons from a real laboratory would have been just plain dangerous. If Yami had screwed up and broken the container he or both of them would have been dead. Plus, Seto knew Takanawa wasn't going to handle investigating the dog personally. Using anthrax would have just killed his subordinates and pissed him off.

"None of that in there."

The creep narrowed his eyes at him and Seto got the feeling that despite his grotesque appearance, this guy was a lot smarter than Buck. Seto was uncomfortably sure that the guy understood that 'none of that in there' didn't mean there was nothing in there at all. He had originally thought Takanawa would laugh when he found the tracker and shake his head at Seto's naive try. But now he wondered if Takanawa would just get angry that Seto had messed with what was supposed to be a birthday present to his son and take it out on Mokuba.

It was too late to take it back. As soon as Seto got home, he was flying out to England. It didn't matter what Mokuba thought, he'd tell him everything and get the new family someplace safe.

But maybe, maybe, there was another way. As the guy was turning away, Seto asked abruptly, "He treat you well?"

The goon paused and looked back at him. "What?"

"Takanawa. I hope he pays you well."

The ugly bastard laughed. "I get what you're trying. You want me to doublecross the boss."

Seto shrugged his shoulders. "Why not? He doublecrossed Buck."

To his surprise and relief, the guy frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

"Takanawa left Buck in Hong Kong to rot. Didn't you know that?"

"Buck was an idiot. He got himself in trouble."

"True, but being stupid doesn't matter, he's part of Takanawa's mafia family, isn't he? He was an associate, just like you. Aren't you supposed to look out for one another?"

"You got the mafia figured wrong. It's everyone for himself."

"Really. But I thought betraying people was a big mistake."

"It is."

"You know that Takanawa sent me to Hong Kong to break him out of jail. Well, I couldn't do it and where's Buck? Still in Hong Kong. Takanawa didn't try and get him out any other way, did he? Guess he just wrote him off. I wonder what'll happen when you mess up."

The goon lunged forward and grabbed a handful of Seto's shirt front. The people behind them muttered worriedly and shifted, but still no one made any move. Seto didn't flinch, just looked into the one eye that was pointed at him and smiled.

"I'm not going to mess up."

"I'll bet Buck thought the same thing."

The thug shook him a little, snarling. His breath made Seto want to gag, but he pushed it away. Still staring calmly at him, Seto kept his infuriating smile. He had to play this right. Making the goon angry would get him thinking but making him too angry would set him off.

"Just think about it," he said. "All I want is Takanawa dead. I don't care about you or whoever you call friends and family. I don't care about anybody else. But Takanawa isn't going to stop at just me. He's a Yakuza and he's going to be until the day he dies. And until he dies, you're going to be running his errands like the good little boy you are and if you mess up, there's no saying, 'I'm sorry, give me another chance.' There's only you and an unmarked grave."

"Yeah? And how do I know you wouldn't betray me if I help you out?"

"Because you hold all the cards. You know where I am and you know where he is. If you went to him and killed him for me, I won't know where you are and you can skip out to wherever you want to go. Besides, why would I come after you anyway? You did what I wanted you to do and I'm not part of the family."

"But Takanawa is. If I kill him--"

"I thought he was on the outs with his brothers, though. Akira and Tetsuo or whatever their names are. Don't you know that bit? If either of those guys find out where Takanawa is, they're going to take down everyone, and that includes you. Seems like the only chance you've got of living a long life is my way. Stay with Takanawa and screw up--and believe me, you will, everyone does, even Takanawa--and get killed by your own boss. Or be found out by one of the other Yakuzas and go down with the ship. Or help me out and I'll make it worth your while."

"I'm listening, punk."

"How does three million and a plane ticket to wherever you want sound? I bet Takanawa doesn't pay you that much. Especially since he's not one of the big dogs anymore."

Seto could see he'd started the thug's wheels turning, but he couldn't push this. Loyalty meant nothing to this guy, whatever he'd said about family members looking out for one another. Buck's betrayal meaning he'd been left to pay for his crimes meant less to him than the fact that it could happen to him.

"What'd you do to the dog?"

Everything hinged on this. Seto couldn't even ask for the guy's oath he'd help, since they'd just established that meant nothing. If he told the thug and the guy went running to Takanawa, he was screwed.

"Trackers. In the remote and the dog's back."

He kept the one in the tongue to himself. It seemed like such an unlikely place to put one that maybe Takanawa would overlook it. And maybe being betrayed by this goon could work for him. He fessed up and the guy went to Takanawa and blew the whistle, maybe Takanawa would think he had him and wouldn't look any further than that.

Seto still had to go and warn Mokuba, though. And that meant getting out of this station and home alive. The associate still hadn't let go of his shirt.

"How do I know you won't get what you want and renege?" the thug asked.

The vocabulary was a pretty good indication Seto had been right, this guy wasn't as dumb as he looked. So the best thing to do would be to appeal to his intellect as well as his greed.

"For the same reason I gave you earlier. You know where I am, I don't know where you are. You kill Takanawa and I don't pay up, you know where to find me."

"You could jump ship like a rat."

"True. But here's the difference between Takanawa and me. I don't like staying in some hidey-hole like said rat. Why do you think I have a building with three different colors, a jet that looks like a dragon, and my face on TV every month? I like attention." That was a partial truth. Seto liked being flashy, but he didn't care what people thought of him. "If all I wanted was to live, I would have run for it long before now."

"How about some good faith, kid? Get me that first million now, tonight, and I'll think about helping you out. You read me right, I'm looking out for me. Takanawa's made some bad choices and he's not half as powerful as he'd like you to believe with all his smoke-and-mirrors bullshit over the phone."

"I thought as much. The banks are closed and I can't take you to an ATM for a million."

"Then we've got a problem."

"How about collateral?"

"The point was for Takanawa not to know. What am I going to do, fly that dragon-plane home?"

"No." Seto took a deep breath. This was going to be a sacrifice, but if this guy really was on his side, he could get Mokuba and Marianne out of this unharmed. "I'll give you my Blue Eyes White Dragon cards."

The goon sneered. "Playing cards? I'd almost forgotten about all that Duel Monsters crap. You are such a child. But I know how much those things mean to you. You've got a fetish I don't even want to think about. Dragon-plane, dragon-theme park. Hell, you even look like your stupid mascot with that damn white trenchcoat." The guy considered. "I'll take the cards if you get me the million by tomorrow night."

"Deal."

"I've got to hightail it back to the boss before he starts wondering what's going on. You got the cards on you?"

Seto didn't. Now that he didn't play Duel Monsters anymore, his deck was in the vault back at Kaiba Corp. The goon didn't like that answer.

"I guess you're just out of options."

"Wait." Seto sighed and slowly pulled his pendant over his head. He flipped it open so that guy could see Mokuba's picture inside from their last day at the orphanage. "Take this, then."

"That worth a million to you?"

Seto nodded. He and Mokuba wore the pendants to remind themselves of where they'd come from and the fact that they'd always been there for each other.

"That's your little brother, ain't it? All right, I'll take this, but just until tomorrow night. Now, I won't be able to come back to you, not without Takanawa getting suspicious. So remember this."

He gave Seto a bank name and account number. No surprise that it was out of the Caiman Islands, just like every other bad guy's. Seto repeated it back and the guy was satisfied. With the orders to wire the first million to that account by tomorrow night and the promise that if he did so the pendant would be mailed back to him, Seto had no choice but to agree to this devil's deal. He knew perfectly well there was a good chance he'd wire the money and still lose everything. At the very least, the goon might take the money and burn the pendant just for the fun of it.

But what really mattered was that Seto had more chances now than he'd had when he'd walked down the station steps an hour ago. The third tracker in the tongue, the possibility this guy would help him out, and the fact that he was still alive and could fly out to England as soon as he got home.

tbc…


	58. Chapter 58

Chapter Fifty-Eight:

Yami glanced up as Yugi entered the apartment. It was Monday afternoon and Yugi had gone to attend an interview. When he came in, he was grinning and he took off his coat, hanging it up before coming into the kitchen and throwing his arms around Yami.

"I got a job!"

"That's great, Aibou. Where?"

"It's just a video rental place downtown, near the mall, but it's a job. It's a strange building, really. It has a section renting movies, a section selling books, and a section selling coffee and stuff. It's called Sip, Read, and View." Yugi laughed.

"Sounds good. When do you start?"

"Tomorrow. I work the afternoon shift; three to nine."

"Excellent. Oh, and Dr. Ashford called. Your staircase should arrive on Wednesday."

"Good," Yugi said, walking over to the refrigerator and pulling out a can of soda. "How's work with Annie going?" He grinned; he and Joey had visited one afternoon to pick Yami up for dinner after his shift and had met the unusual woman.

"She's good. She's quite excited because there's an art exhibition coming to Domino on May 6th and she's been invited to showcase some of her pieces."

"Oh. That's good for her."

"Yes. And she wants me there to help her." Yami shrugged his shoulders. "She's going to pay me overtime for it so I think I'll say yes." He smiled and sat down at the dining room table with Yugi after getting his own soda. "She insists I have the right style for art."

Yugi laughed loudly. "I don't think I could see you molding clay into statues."

"No." Yami smiled and took a drink of his soda.

They sat and chatted for a bit before Yugi got up to make dinner. Joey would be home in an hour. Though it was Monday evening, he was still coughing and suffering from a fever. Yugi was very worried about him, but because Joey had made a promise about making an appointment to see a doctor tomorrow, he didn't push him about it. Ever since Joey had blown up at him about his mother's wedding, Yugi had been treating him with a timid deference. Though Joey seemed to be over his anger, Yami was concerned about their relationship.

Maybe what they needed was time to themselves. Thanks to their schedules, Yami was almost always with the pair, and he wondered if he should give them a night alone. Even if they didn't get romantic, a heart-to-heart chat could make all the difference.

The only problem was, what would he do? It would do best to give them an entire night alone, but where would he stay? He supposed he could stay overnight at a hotel, but they were likely to protest 'putting him out.'

Joey came home, looking pale and wan. Yugi was immediately concerned and had him sit down, getting him a glass of ice water. Yami looked at him appraisingly, seeing that in addition to being pale and tired-looking, he had clearly lost weight, which hollowed-out his cheeks. Nevertheless, he smiled at Yugi when he set down the ice-water and commented that the food smelled great and he was starving.

"Don't worry, Yug'. I went ahead and made an appointment. Tomorrow at three. Cora gave me the time off to make it."

Cora was Joey's supervisor. Yugi nodded and served their dinner, though he still looked troubled. Joey, despite how sick he looked, ate heartily like always. Afterwards, he went to bed early and Yugi and Yami settled on the couch to watch some TV before bed.

//I know you're concerned,// Yami said, //and so am I. But despite how pale he looks--//

/And thin,/ Yugi said morosely.

//...yes. Despite that, he is still energetic and, of course, hungry.//

Yugi managed a little smile and leaned against him. Yami put his arm around his shoulders and rubbed his arm lightly with his fingers. Yugi was anxious for Joey, but otherwise seemed to be in the best mood he'd been in a very long time. But Yami was still concerned about the upcoming month. April 18th was the first year anniversary of his mother's death.

Grandpa and Mr. Moto had both died instantly in the collapse of the Game Shop and apartment. The first anniversary of their deaths had been September 5th, when Yugi was still at the Shintaka Center. After the collapse of the Game Shop, Yugi, Yami, and the other Motos had been pulled from the rubble, Yugi's father and grandfather pronounced dead at the scene. His mother, like Yugi and Yami, had lived through the collapse, but had soon succumbed to a coma due to massive head and internal injuries. Yami, who had suffered broken bones, had spent three weeks in the hospital because he had no where to go. When Joey heard of the aftermath of the earthquake, he'd come back to Domino and got a cheap apartment and had Yami move in with him. Yami's bones had healed within the next four weeks and he'd been fine. But Yugi had spent more than three months in intensive care, fighting internal trauma and subsequent infections. When he'd stabilized, he'd gone to the Shintaka Center to complete his recovery and physical rehabilitation, a place where he'd stayed the next eleven months.

His mother, however, had suffered a coma-related stroke April 18th, after struggling seven months to stay alive, and had died without ever waking up.

Yami had made the mistake of informing Yugi of this over their link, the only time he'd contacted him that way since the tradegy. Yugi had suffered a mental breakdown, which had set his recovery back. He would have been released from the Center much earlier than he'd been, but Dr. Ashford had kept him until he'd overcome the breakdown and completed his rehab.

September 5th had been a bad day for Yugi, and Yami knew he'd gone through a minor depression, causing Dr. Ashford to move his release date back again to October. Now he was out, and had his mother's deathdate looming. How would he react to it?

******

The next night, Yugi had good news about his new employment. He liked his supervisor--a man named Brian--and his trainer--a woman his own age named Lily--a great deal. Both had been very friendly and tactful about what was now well-known news; Yugi's family's deaths and the loss of their home. And more than that, he had what Yami considered even better news.

"Lily told me there's a support group for those who lost family in the earthquake," he said almost off-handedly but staring at his plate. "I think I might go, you know, at least once."

"That might be a good idea," Yami said carefully. "At least, to talk to someone who understands."

Yugi nodded, then looked up and changed the subject back to his new job. "The employees get a 15% discount," he said with a smile. "So we can rent all the movies we want for cheap."

Yami saw Joey look at him and he did his best to send him a comforting glance. Yugi didn't want to talk about the earthquake with them yet, but he was going to go to a support group about it, and that was something to be relieved about.

"What about your doctor's appointment, Joey?" Yami asked.

Joey shrugged his shoulders. "They checked me out and took some blood. It's pneumonia."

Yugi nearly swallowed his chopsticks. "Shouldn't you be in the hospital?!"

"Nah. Come on, Yug', do you think he would have sent me home if I needed to be in the hospital? The doc says since I'm not having any trouble breathing it's a minor case and that a lot of people treat it at home now. I've got some antibiotics to take, need to drink a ton of water, and make sure I get a lot of sleep, but otherwise I act like normal. I'll be fine."

******

Yugi was clearly concerned about Joey's diagnosis and he catered to Joey over the next few days. Yami did his part by taking over Joey's share of the chores, much to his consternation. But despite their anxiety, the pneumonia cleared up under the antibiotic treatment and by the sixth of April he was fully healed.

Yugi was clearly overjoyed when Joey returned home from his second doctor's appointment with the good news. Such was his happiness that the next morning, Yami brought up to him the idea of having a night to themselves.

/Oh, Yami, I don't know,/ Yugi said. But despite his uncertainty, Yami could see the eagerness underneath his words. /Joey doesn't really seem to...you know, feel that way./

Yami didn't tell Yugi that of course Joey did. In all honesty, since their talk a couple of months ago, a lot had happened between the two of them and it wasn't his place to make assumptions. Instead, he said, //Well, perhaps not, though I don't think that's the case. I think what you need to do is sit Joey down and bring everything out into the open.//

/You do?/ Yugi's brow wrinkled. /I...But what about you?/

Yami smiled and patted his hikari on the shoulder. //Don't worry about me. I can spend the night at a hotel.//

Yugi blushed. /I don't think that's going to happen./

//Maybe not, but you still need time to yourselves to have a real conversation. Don't worry about me.//

Yugi tilted his head slightly to the side. /Yami, don't you have anyone you're interested in?/

Yami hesitated about bringing up his relationship with Kaiba. It was far from a real relationship. It was little more than casual sex. And of course it was between himself and Kaiba.

//No, Aibou.//

Yugi blinked, then shrugged slightly. He knew Yami didn't enjoy talking about emotions in depth and he let it go. It was time for him to do his exercises and he got out the three-step staircase from the front hall closet. He had progressed very far in his exercises and could now go up and down the stairs five times without falling, but still grew tired and shaky.

Yami sat and watched him do his exercises a couple of times before he headed off for his shift at Fine Art World. Annie was beside herself with excitement about the upcoming art show, despite the fact that it was still a month away.

"Oh, hi, honey," she sing-songed when he came in.

Today she was wearing a canary-yellow peasant blouse over a shiny black leather skirt, yellow hose, and shin-high, shiny black leather boots. Her streaked, curly red hair hung free over her shoulders, though there was a yellow silk flower in it. And of course her customary black triangle pendant.

"George's got food poisoning," she said as if it was something no less serious than a hangnail. "So it's just the two of us."

Yami forced a smile and walked over to count the cash register for his shift. He liked Annie for the most part, though she was definitely strange and absentminded, except for her constant pestering that he should take up an art form. She insisted it would enrich his life. He insisted he had no interest in it.

"Hm," she said a half hour later. "I wonder why no one has come in? That last man looked quite interested. He was looking in the window for a couple of minutes, but he just walked away. I'm sure he's a regular here."

Yami glanced up. He saw the problem and smiled. "Annie, I think the sign says we're closed."

Annie followed his gaze and giggled. "Oopsie."

Oopsie was her having forgotten to turn the Sorry, We're Closed to Yes, We're Open. She trotted up to the door and flipped the sign, then went into the second room of the shop without the slightest hint of embarrassment. Yami shook his head and returned to the newspaper he was reading. Annie hated reading the newspaper because she felt immersing one's self into bad news daily darkened their outlook on life, but she did buy one every morning for George to read and Yami often relieved his boredom by reading it as well.

When the little chime tinkled above the door, he looked up, and frowned in surprise when Kaiba walked into the shop.

"What are you doing here?"

"Can you talk?"

Realizing that this was going to be about Takanawa, Yami glanced at the other room and nodded. Kaiba lowered his voice and quietly filled him in on what had happened on his side of things the last few days. He'd gone to England and finally told Mokuba what was going on. Mokuba had been angry with him, but had moved himself and his new wife to that same cabin he and Kaiba had been stuck at in January.

"Has Mokuba refused to forgive you?"

Kaiba scowled. "There's nothing to forgive, I didn't start this."

Yami held up his hands and sighed. "I meant, is he still angry with you?"

"He's pissed at the situation. But he wanted me to stay with him and Marianne at the cabin. Of course I can't do that."

Yami nodded in understanding. But Kaiba's story wasn't finished with the good news that his brother and sister-in-law were safe. Takanawa's new man looked to be a good prospect for inside help. After Kaiba had wired him the first million dollars for hiring him, the goon had kept up his end of the bargain and mailed the locket pendant he'd given to him for collateral back to him. It was around Kaiba's neck even now and the show of good faith had given him some tentative hope.

"Do you think you can truly trust this man?" Yami asked.

"Of course not. He's on Takanawa's payroll, he's a sleazeball, and I don't even know his name. I fully expect him to take my three million and stab me in the back."

Yami raised an eyebrow. "Then why have you come here?"

"You wanted to know what happened."

Yami smiled and folded his newspaper. "Coming to tell me is hardly your only reason for being here."

"Obviously. Takanawa has had the dog since the twenty-sixth and he hasn't called about the trackers I put in them, so, though I doubt he hasn't found at least one, he isn't pissed off. However, now I'm not sure what to do. If the thug plans to help me out, I might have an easier time letting him bring me to Takanawa--hell, I might even be lucky and he'll put a bullet in his brain himself--than trying to follow the damn little yellow light."

Yami was surprised because it seemed Kaiba was asking him for his advice. Or perhaps he was just reading that into the situation. "It is up to you. Do you need my involvement?"

He deliberately didn't use the word help. Kaiba frowned and started to speak when Annie interrupted them.

"Ooh! Hi, Kaiba." She came into the room, looking at Kaiba with unconcealed keenness. "Come to let me paint you after all?"

"Hell, no."

Annie was not a woman to let rudeness concern her. She shrugged her shoulders and came around the counter to pick up an inventory checklist before trotting back out of the room. Yami smiled at Kaiba.

"I'm sure she'd capture your good side."

"You might want to keep your opinions to yourself. You forgot all about that camera and that picture might inspire her creativity in her art. Or Sentoryou's in his dreams if I feel like giving it to him."

Yami felt the heat rise in his cheeks. He'd forgotten about the picture! Damn Kaiba, he had something to hold over him now. Though he doubted Kaiba would actually give that picture to Sentoryou, the fact that it existed was embarrassing enough.

"Back to the problem at hand," he said firmly, making Kaiba grin. "As I was saying, it is up to you what you wish to do."

"I know that. I'm capable of making my own decisions." Kaiba sighed heavily. "The thug is supposed to get in touch with me tonight by e-mail after I set up an anonymous account to tell me to wire him the other two million. When I do, he's going to tell me Takanawa's address."

"You want to do it tonight?"

"Why not? Do you have plans?"

"Very well. I am off at eight. When is the man supposed to contact you?"

"Eleven." Kaiba straightened up and picked up his briefcase from where he'd set it on the counter. "Come over whenever and be prepared."

Surprised that Kaiba hadn't told him to not come over until eleven, Yami watched him walk out of the Art World. No sooner had the door closed behind him then Annie came back in, smiling brightly. She looked towards the door and shook her head unhappily.

"Pity he won't let me paint him," she said. "He's so hot."

Yami turned his head and stared at her. She noticed and smiled.

"What? That man is gorgeous."

Yami couldn't help but snort laughter, trying to smother it so he wouldn't offend her. Only he'd forgotten nothing offended Annie. She came over to the counter, still grinning.

"He may be half my age, but that doesn't change anything. And you're just as pretty in your dark way. Won't you pose for me?"

"Uh, I don't think so, Annie."

She made a pout and suddenly got down to business. "We're low on purple and black velvet, Armanian plaster, and Syrian water-colors. Think you can bring them up?"

"Yes."

Annie took over the register while Yami went into the second room to the stairwell that led down to the basement storeroom. He brought up each item as she wanted, thinking ahead to what the night might hold. This was certainly a change of events and he couldn't help but be concerned. He didn't trust the goon one bit and he knew Kaiba didn't either. However, Kaiba's back was against a wall now and he had to do whatever he could.

tbc…


	59. Chapter 59

Chapter Fifty-Nine:

Seto touched down on the expansive lawn of Mokuba's estate and slowly turned off the Jet's engines. He had called ahead to one, make sure Mokuba and Marianne were still okay, and two, to let them know he was coming. He hadn't told them why and he was not looking forward to it.

He opened the cockpit and climbed out, dropping lightly to the ground and crossing the lawn to the back of the house. He was let in by a maid and led towards the living room, where Marianne was waiting.

"Good morning, Seto," she said cheerfully.

Seto paused slightly before answering. Marianne was wearing a scarlet red sundress and it was becoming quite obvious she was pregnant. At five months along, she was showing, one hand resting on her protruding belly.

"Good morning," he said. "Is Mokuba around?"

"No. He's at school." Marianne's brow furrowed. "Is something wrong?"

"I should probably wait until Mokuba is home."

Marianne looked concerned, but she didn't push the subject. Instead she offered Seto a snack and since he wanted something to do while he waited as well as keeping her calm, he agreed. She had the maid bring a tray of silly, little cucumber sandwiches, crackers with cream cheese, and a tin of little cookies with coffee. Seto ate a little, trying to keep Marianne engaged in small talk. It was pretty easy as she was such a cheerful, talkative person.

"Mokuba's really coming into his own leading Kaiba Corp's English headquarters," she said happily. "I think being so responsible for so many people is really good for him." She smiled over her cup of caffeine-free tea. Because she was pregnant, she couldn't have coffee or chocolate. "He really is your brother."

Seto smiled, pleased. "Yes, he is."

Mokuba came home not much later, greeting his wife with a kiss and asking for an update on his baby before he turned to his brother.

"Hi, Seto. What's up?"

Seto sighed and told them everything. By the time he was finished, Mokuba was in a towering rage. He paced back and forth in the living room, shouting.

"I don't believe this! After all we've gone through over the last few years, I finally get some good luck and DAMN if something doesn't come along--"

"Mokuba, honey, calm down," Marianne said. "Please, come over and sit down."

She patted the armrest on her chair, looking up at him with apprehension. Mokuba glanced down at her, then visibly reigned in his temper and sat down. He sighed and looked at Seto.

"So let me get this straight. Gozaburo had a friend who lost out when you took over Kaiba Corp. and now he's threatening me and Marianne to get you to steal for him just so he can try and get you to screw up and get you sent to jail?"

"Pretty much, yeah," Seto said quietly.

It was just as bad as he thought it would be, the way Mokuba was looking at him and the way Marianne looked so worried. He looked down at his hands.

"Listen, Mokuba, I didn't want to tell you because I know you've finally gotten out from under my shadow and got some good things going for you for once--"

"Oh, Seto," Marianne said.

Seto continued, "--and I didn't want to ruin it for you. I've done everything I can to keep this away from you, but I don't know if I can do it anymore. I'm sorry."

He didn't look up, not wanting to look Mokuba in the face. Marianne made another comforting noise, but she didn't say anything and he knew she was upset and concerned for her baby.

"I want to move you two out of here...for a little while. I still have the cabin under lease until June and I don't think it'll take that long to resolve this. Please, go there and wait. I'll get this finished."

"What do you mean by that?" Mokuba asked after a slight pause.

"I have a few options left to me," Seto said cryptically.

"You're not going to do something stupid, are you?" Seto looked up and saw that Mokuba was looking at him with less anger than he'd thought he would. "And you know, bravery and stupidity are real close, Seto."

"I'll handle it, Mokuba. What you need to do is focus on your wife and baby. Will you go to the cabin?"

Mokuba glanced down at Marianne. "Of course we will." Mokuba reached down and brushed Marianne's hair back. "I'll get Andrea to pack up your things."

Marianne ran her hand over her swelling stomach. "Do you think we'll be all right there? I don't mean from Takanawa, I mean for the baby."

"It's a modern cabin, honey," Mokuba said. "A smaller version of our house on an island. There's a phone line if we need it. And the baby isn't due until August."

"Seto, will you be all right?" Marianne asked, looking up at him. "Are you sure you can't go to the police?"

Seto took a breath and blew it out. Marianne was a kind and sweet woman, but she wasn't naive. She knew of Seto's reputation as well as the rumors. She understood why Seto couldn't go to the police. While he'd never done anything that would get him a life sentence, any jail time should be avoided, especially since Kaiba Corp. would suffer and most likely go under from such scandal. And even going to the police and risking it wouldn't be a real solution. As Seto had explained, Takanawa might just decide to kill them all for getting the police involved.

"I'm sure."

Mokuba got to his feet, presumably to go and find Andrea. Marianne looked at Seto.

"Won't you come with us?"

She was as concerned for him as she was for Mokuba. Seto shook his head.

"No, or nothing will get fixed."

"This isn't your fault."

"I know, but that doesn't mean it's not my responsibility. Marianne, make sure Mokuba stays there at the cabin. I don't want him coming to try and help me."

Marianne's brow furrowed, but she nodded. "I won't. He'll stay with me, anyway. If I wasn't pregnant, he might argue, but he knows I'll need him if we're there at the cabin."

Seto nodded, then got to his feet. "I'll have Roland take you there."

Marianne got up as well, with some difficulty but not nearly as much as she soon would. "Seto, I know I don't really know you all that well, but I don't want you taking any chances. That's what Mokuba was trying to tell you. I know he's angry, but he's not angry at you."

"I know." Seto looked away, uncomfortable.

He knew Mokuba didn't blame him. But that didn't change the fact that his good life had suddenly become derailed and in jeopardy. Marianne walked over and Seto allowed her to hug him, even hugged her back, though he wished she wouldn't.

"Take care of yourself, please," she said.

"I will, Marianne."

Seto pulled his phone out of his coat and called for Roland to immediately come to England with the helicopter and fly Mokuba and Marianne to the cabin. He also ordered him to stay with them. Extra security and extra help. Roland agreed and Seto knew he could trust him to do his job. Particularly since he'd promised Roland a healthy bonus if he stayed as long as necessary.

Mokuba came back down just as he was completing his call. Behind him came the same woman who had let Seto in earlier and gotten the snacks, holding the handle of a large, burgundy-colored rolling suitcase in one hand and a smaller, handheld mother-of-pearl suitcase that could only be Marianne's. Mokuba himself was holding a black suitcase in one hand and Marianne's purse in his other. Seto told him that Roland would be there in a few hours to take them to the cabin and Mokuba nodded, setting the bags down by the door.

Mokuba paused and turned to him.

"Look, Seto, I know this makes you uncomfortable, but promise me you'll be careful."

"I will, Mokuba, you have my word."

Which meant little since he knew by the very definition of what he was trying to do he was going to be in danger. But at least Mokuba and Marianne were going to be out of that danger, safely tucked away in the cabin of which Takanawa knew nothing about.

"Have you decided on a name yet?" Seto asked.

Mokuba shook his head. "No. I don't know why, but I just can't decide on any. And it's not even a choice between two, I just can't decide."

Seto shrugged. "You've still got four months. Just remember the kid's going to have to live with the name for the rest of his life. So don't name him something embarrassing."

"Damn. There goes about six off the list."

Seto laughed. He suddenly was surprised by how much he really wanted to be there when the baby was born. He reached out and patted Mokuba on his shoulder.

"I'll see you."

tbc…


	60. Chapter 60

Chapter Sixty:

After his shift at the Fire Art World store, Yami headed for home. Annie's shop was located between Kaiba's mansion and the Ridge Apartments; it was closer to the apartments than the mansion, but Yami had to get the Ring and the Rod and had no choice in traveling back and forth, which was an annoyance. After all, he'd just gotten off an eleven-hour shift having doubled because George was still getting over his food poisoning. And now he was going to possibly be pulled into another fight for their lives. And since it was late, he wouldn't be able to stay home for more than a few minutes. Walking to the apartments would take him until a quarter of nine and walking back to Kaiba's mansion would make it almost eleven.

He wouldn't even have time to get something to eat, and for that, he'd get what he wanted to eat at the mansion. Kaiba could afford to feed him.

When he got home, Joey was the only one there. Yugi was working at the Sip, Read, and View and wouldn't be off until nine-thirty. Joey was watching TV when he came in. Yami walked immediately into his bedroom and retrieved the two other Millennium Items, hooking the Rod into his belt and putting the Ring around his neck, a little shiver running up his spine at the uncomfortable feeling it always gave him.

When he walked back out and started for the door, Joey stopped him.

"Whoa, Yami, what's the rush? You just got home, aren't you hungry?"

Did Yami tell Joey the truth or did he lie to him?

Yami was sick of lying to his loved ones. He sighed and sat down on the armrest of the couch nearest Joey and explained. Like he'd expected, Joey got angry and protective.

"Oh, no! Oh, come on, Yami, no. You're too smart to not know how damn dangerous this is. And for Kaiba! Why on Earth would you help him to begin with, you aren't getting paid this time. And we don't need his money even if he was going to pay you."

"Joey, Kaiba needs my help. There is something I can do to help him and I can't walk away from that. Don't you understand that?"

He could tell from Joey's face that he did. Joey growled and looked down at the carpet before looking back up.

"I'm just worried about you. You might have nine lives like the cats you Egyptians are so fond of, but you've already used up like eight of 'em. And, you know, me aside, Yug' can't lose you, you know?"

Yami did. For a moment guilt niggled at him, and yet he knew he couldn't turn his back on Kaiba, not even for Yugi. Because if Takanawa proved too much for Kaiba to handle on his own and he killed him, not only would that be on Yami's conscience, but Takanawa was a terrible, evil man and Yami had to stop him if he could. It was what he did.

"I know, Joey. And I certainly don't plan on dying. I've already done it once, it's not fun."

Joey glared at him for his attempt at humor. Perhaps Yami just didn't have the right touch.

He hastened on. "Even if the worst happened, I'd know I'd done my best. And Yugi would have you to help him, Joey."

"I wouldn't be enough, not if he lost yet someone else."

Yami looked at the floor. "I know."

Joey growled softly, before looking up. "This is something you really don't think you can back out of, isn't it? Listen, Yami, I'm going to shut up because I know how smart you are and I know how tough you are and I know you wouldn't do anything you didn't think you had to. Hell, maybe there's something to it I don't understand. That's happens a lot." Joey got to his feet and then grabbed the car keys from the key rack by the door. "Come on, I'll drive you out there."

Yami slowly stood up, unsure. If Joey took him out to the Kaiba mansion, would he start a fight with him? Not to mention that Yugi would need a ride home. After being on his feet most of the time for his shift, his recuperating legs were too tired to make the five-mile walk home. But when Yami brought this up, Joey shrugged his shoulders.

"Nothing to worry about that, Yug's going out with his buddies from the video place after work. He called earlier."

Yami looked at Joey in surprise as they walked down the two front steps. "Oh."

"Yeah." Joey walked around the car and got into the driver's seat. "Seems like Yug's got some new friends now."

Yami looked across the car at Joey. He'd been concerned that Yugi's faux pas about the wedding had cooled Joey's love for him, but unless he was wrong, Joey seemed jealous.

"Joey...how do you feel...about Yugi?"

Joey looked at him, then through the windshield again. "What? He's my friend. Nobody ever said I had to be his only one."

Yami was loathe to get into others' personal lives, but he'd already given Yugi some advice and if Joey was still upset with him, that could blow up in Yugi's face. And yet, maybe that would be best. Maybe Joey and Yugi were over before they'd begun and it would be best for them to look for other people.

"You know what I meant, Joey. You and I are no longer lovers because you wished to get together with Yugi. I know he made you angry, but--"

"I know what you're trying to say. Yeah, I still love him, but I don't know if--"

"Yugi loves you, too."

"I know."

Something in Joey's voice made Yami quite sure continuing this conversation was not welcome. Clearly Yugi's feelings were not in question. Then why was Joey upset? Perhaps that time alone really was necessary. Unfortunately, given Joey's temper, Yami decided not to bring up what he'd talked with Yugi about.

If the two of them were meant to be, it would work on its own.

At last, Joey pulled into Kaiba's driveway and turned off the engine. He turned to Yami.

"Look, I know you're worried about Yug' and me. But I'm just going to back off right now. Yugi's having fun with these new friends of his and they might be good for him. Something completely new. But if you think I'm giving up on him, hell, no. I've loved Yug' since before all this stuff happened. And now I want you to promise me you'll be careful. Not for Yug', not for me, but for you. Be careful."

Yami smiled. "I will."

"Okay. Give 'em hell, Yami. I've never been on the receiving end of one of your nasty Penalty Games, and I'm glad for that." He suddenly winked. "You're more like those cats you like so much than you know. You're smart, and aloof, and fancy and even though you're little, damn if you don't have your claws."

Yami laughed, knowing that Joey was making his jokes to diffuse the tension. "Thank you for driving me, Joey."

"No problem." He hesitated, then shrugged. "Who knows, maybe while you're out shredding souls, maybe I'll think about asking Yugi out."

"Don't push it. It's not only Yugi that needs time."

Joey nodded. "Call me anytime you need a ride home." He glanced towards the house. "You'd better go, before I give Kaiba a piece of my mind, just 'cause he's such an ass."

Yami got out and watched Joey drive away before turning to the house and walking up to the front door. He was let in by the butler, who Kaiba must have told to expect him.

The man seemed to have no memory of the time Yami had knocked him unconscious, drunk and out of options to get money for all the bills piling up. He led Yami upstairs to Kaiba's home office, knocking, and then turning and leaving. Yami walked into the office to find Kaiba on his computer.

Though this was hard from an unusual event, Yami asked, "He hasn't contacted you yet, has he?"

"No. I'm setting up that anonymous account so that Takanawa will not know whom he is e-mailing."

Yami nodded, taking off the Ring and setting it and the Rod on the side table next to the couch. "I'm hungry. Do you mind if I get something to eat?"

Kaiba glanced at him before turning back to his computer. "Press the 2 button on the intercom and Charles will get you whatever you want. You'll get lost if you try to find the kitche on your own."

Yami doubted that, considering every house, no matter how big and fancy, had the same basic design of the kitchen and dining room towards the back and downstairs. Still, he walked over to the intercom and pushed the 2 button. In a few minutes, the butler showed up and Yami asked him to get him some Sukiyaki, without the egg. It was his favorite dish in the modern world.

Kaiba finished setting up the account and sighed. "All that's left now is to wait."

"Do you suppose this night will be the final one?"

"I'm almost expecting something to happen and get in the way. Something always does."

Yami settled down on the soft leather couch. "Honestly, I don't think tonight will be the night."

"Why?"

"You said that this man wants the other two million dollars and then is going to tell you where Takanawa lives once he gets it. It would make sense for him to wait until he knows he has his money before helping you. I don't know much about modern finances considering I only have that little checking account you set up for me before, but doesn't wiring money take time to go through?"

"Yeah, but he knows I'm good for it. I have to be, he's in a position to tip Takanawa off even after he gives me the address."

Yami shrugged and looked up as the butler returned with the requested food. He thanked him and happily got to eating. He really was hungry.

He finished the meal and then got up, bored. It was exactly ten o'clock and there was an hour before Takanawa's man was supposed to contact them. He wandered around the office, looking around, while Kaiba sat at his desk and stared off into space, no doubt thinking about the situation.

"Kaiba, say this goes as we wish. How are we going to Takanawa's?"

"By car. Flying is too noisy, even with my Jet."

"If he isn't on this island?"

"That doesn't matter. We'll fly to whatever island and I'll get a car and then we'll drive there."

Yami sighed softly and returned to the couch to sit down. He sat there and waited until eleven, nearly dozing before Kaiba's announcement that an e-mail had arrived brought him back to attention. He got up and walked over to stand behind Kaiba's chair, looking over his shoulder.

The e-mail, however, had bad news. The goon told them Takanawa and his family had left that afternoon for two-week long vacation to America's Florida for the kid's birthday. They'd be going to Disneyland, Sea World, and the ocean and there was nothing the goon could have done about it. Trying to talk him out of it would have raised Takanawa's suspicion. They would not be home until the twentieth and that was final.

However, there was good news. Because Kaiba had wired the rest of the money like he was supposed to, the goon gave him Takanawa's address. He had decided he wasn't going to try killing Takanawa himself, since the rest of those working for Takanawa knew who he was. It was up to Kaiba.

"Think that's the real address?" Yami asked with a sigh, unsurprised. In all honesty, it was becoming routine.

"Yeah." Kaiba sat back in his chair with a growl. "I do. Even if it isn't, we don't have much of a choice, since he's not going to do it himself. Now the only thing is to do decide what to do with the information. Walking up to Takanawa's house, even if he's not home, isn't going to be smart. I could make a bomb and blow him up like he did to Kato and tried to do to us, but that place is probably being baby-sitted by his 'associates.' And I'd rather not involve the kid and woman if I can."

When Yami looked at him, Kaiba glared. "Look, I don't just kill--"

"I know," Yami said, cutting off his anger. "Very well, next week, then. Is there any way to check out whether he double-crossed us before coming face-to-face with Takanawa?"

"Not without going there and peering in the window, no." Then Kaiba paused, clearly having an idea. "Actually, you could do that, consdering no one would see you. At the very least, we'd know we're in the right place."

Yami was agreeable to that. It was a smart thing to do, especially since their other plans had fallen through.

Takanawa's address was in Matsubase, Kumamoto a fairly small municipality on Kyushu Island. Yami went with Kaiba to Kaiba Corp. to get his Blue Eyes White Jet and fly out to the island. Once there, they landed on the tarmac of an airport and Kaiba went to a pay phone and got the phone book, calling an all-night car rental place to order a car. Unlike all that Kaiba owned, it was not a sports car, which was probably a good thing, since it would be less conspicuous.

They drove out to the address. It ended up being a house not too different from Kaiba's, a three-story sprawling mansion of Roman style. It was surrounded by an eight-foot brick wall covered in ivy and gated by a ten-foot black iron gate that featured scroll work and spiked tops.

Kaiba parked on the curb near one of the corners of the walled property and turned off the engine and lights. They looked around, but there didn't seem to be anything suspicious. The other houses on this street were also walled and gated set far back from the road and all but one dark. The lighted one was several lots down and no concern. There was no one around to be seen.

"All right, go ghost and I'll boost you over the wall."

Yami slipped the Ring around his neck and activated its power, becoming completely invisible. He slipped out of the car and crossed to the wall, Kaiba following after him. Yami reached out and touched his arm so he would know where he was. Kaiba linked his hands together and Yami stepped into the grasp. Kaiba boosted him up easily and Yami climbed up onto the top of the wall.

He glanced back once before swinging his legs over and dropping lightly to the ground. He stopped and looked around, scanning the dark grounds. He walked forward and crossed the expansive lawn to the front of the house.

The front room was dark, but Yami could see light coming from the dining room and he wandered around the side of the house until he came to the window. He walked up to it and peered inside.

At the dining room table were six men playing cards. Bottles of imported beer, sake, and whiskey sat on the table--the coasters were probably a requirement from the wife--and were accompanied by bags of various snacks.

The men ranged in size and looks. One was a very ugly individual and Yami suspected that was the man whom Kaiba had contacted. Two looked like brothers due to their similar dark hair and pale eyes, though one was bigger than the other. One man was very slight in build with blond hair, but had a ratty look to him that hinted at a very sneaky and cruel personality. The last two were the only Japanese men; one had sinewy muscles showing beneath the sleeves of his shirt and even had a katana sword leaning against the back of his chair. The other was missing part of his left ear but wore a skull-shaped earring in the other.

It certainly looked like the right place. The ugly man had come through. But that didn't mean they were out of hot water just yet. Though the man had given them the right address, he could still be laying a trap. Invite Kaiba to come to the address then have these six men jump him. Keep the money for himself, and maybe get in good with the boss for bringing Kaiba down.

Yami would like to go into the house and look around, but how to get inside? The grounds probably had camera surveillance, but Yami was invisible and so wouldn't trip it. But inside, if there was something more...

Well, it didn't matter, if they couldn't see him, they couldn't kill him.

Yami walked to the back of the house, then kicked the door. Immediately the dining room erupted in noise and then quickly hushed. Yami stepped back from the door and waited. A few seconds later, the man with the katana came out, holding the deady sword in one hand. Behind him was the ratty blond holding a very big gun in his hand.

They split up and began walking around the sides of the house. The two brothers came out next and spread off across the back lawn. Meanwhile the ugly man and the one missing half his ear were still in the kitchen, peering through and waiting. Then the one missing the ear turned and went towards the front of house, no doubt to guard the front entrance.

With only the possibly ally in the kitchen, Yami slipped into the house and walked around him, studying his face. He wasn't looking towards him, still looking towards the back door, holding a gun in his hand. But it was pointed at the floor and Yami wondered if that meant he thought it was Kaiba who had made the noise and he was not going to attack.

Turning away, Yami glanced around the kitchen before going through the dining room and into the front living room. There the man with the torn ear was standing in the dark, looking through the front windows down the driveway. The house was too far back from the street to make any sense of the people there and Kaiba was also behind the wall. Or, if he was smart, he'd driven away and was waiting for a signal from Yami to come and get him.

Yami glanced only briefly around the front living room before going into the entrance hall. One the other side of the entrance hall was a parlor, which Yami only glanced at before crossing the hall and to the stairs. He walked carefully up the stairs, making sure not to creak any by staying from close to the wall where the stairs were better stabilized.

On the second floor Yami peeked into the rooms, finding one was a toy room for the child, one was a library, there was an office, and a music room. The wife must have been into classical music as the room held a piano, a violin, and a flute.

On the third floor were five bedrooms. One was Takanawa's and a separate was obviously his wife's. Either they were having some marital discord or were strangely old-fashioned. The third was the little boy's room. The other two looked like guest rooms. He wondered if any of the men downstairs stayed here all the time as security.

He went into Takanawa's wood-paneled, wine-carpeted bedroom. On the bedside table were photos of the wife and kid. The wife was a stunningly beautiful Japanese woman in one photo dressed like a Geisha girl, in one holding a brand-new bundle, and in the third holding a toddler. The fourth, fifth, and sixth photos were of the boy, as an infant, a two-year-old, and what he guessed was recent. For being evil, he was certainly a family man.

Yami decided not to dig through his personal things and went back out and down to the second floor. In the office was a brand-new desk-top computer set on a hardwood desk, a portrait very similar to the one that Kaiba had put his fist through at the old house, and several filing cabinets. No doubt there were plenty of incriminating things in those cabinets, but Yami didn't dare risk it and try to take anything.

Nevertheless, the photos and portrait confirmed it, this was really Takanawa's house. Now if only their luck in this matter would turn around and allow them to get close to the bastard.

Yami went back downstairs. All of the goons were back at the table, playing cards again. Yami smiled and trotted back into the entrance hall, then cheerfully opened the front door and walked out down the front walk. Behind him shouts came and the men came pouring out of the front door. Only the ugly man stayed at the front entrance and Yami walked over to stand beneath the front tree, standing and waiting while the men combed the property, clearly confused and maybe a little spooked.

He watched in amusement for a couple of minutes before turning and walking to the front wall. Kaiba had boosted him earlier, now he was on his own to get back over. The gate was coded, so that was no help. But the gate had two horitzonal bars and Yami walked over, putting his foot in the lowest one and climbed up, then grabbed the small brick pillar that bordered the higher metal gate. Holding onto it, he lifted himself up and managed to plant his foot in the second horitzonal metal bar and rise higher. From there, he could grab the ledge of the brick wall and crawl up and over.

Dropping to the ground, he looked around, then turned left and walked down the street to the end of the block. A little ways down the street was the white Hyundai Kaiba had rented.

Yami walked over and opened the passenger door, getting in. He removed the Ring and put his seatbelt on. Kaiba put the car in gear and drove off.

"It's the right address."

"Well, at last some good luck."

"It could be a trap still."

"I know that."

Kaiba drove back to the dealer, dropped off the car, then got back in the Jet and returned to Domino. Landing on the roof of Kaiba Corp, the two of them went down to Kaiba's personal car and headed back towards the Ridge Apartments.

tbc…

A/N: I'm glad I managed to get some computer time to put up a few more chapters. Thanks for the continued interest, it really helps!


	61. Chapter 61

Chapter Sixty-One:

Over the next few days, Yami grew more and more anxious to finally be done with everything and kill Takanawa. Now that they knew for certain where he lived, it was only a matter of time until he returned.

Part of him was concerned about the wife and child. Killing that little boy's father was going to be emotionally crippling for him, and yet there was no other choice. Takanawa was hell-bent on getting his revenge on Kaiba and wouldn't stop for anything. He had to be killed.

It was possible a threat against his own child might put a stop to him, but possibly not. Takanawa was a Yakuza mafia man and, while Kaiba was cruel and ruthless, he was not the same, the bluff might be called for what it was. Takanawa would know that Kaiba, for all his bluster about winning no matter what, had his limits.

Life at home was good. Yugi had nothing but good things to say about the friends he'd made at the video place and had gone out with them twice more. Joey's jealousy, if that was what it had been, seemed to have melted beneath Yugi's happiness, though it was clear he hadn't decided to ask him out after all, as their relationship seemed to be stalled.

But all that changed on April 10th. Yugi returned from his shift at the video store and happily invited Yami and Joey out to join him and his new friends. Joey looked across the room at Yami, a frown on his face. He looked like he was trying to make a difficult decision, perhaps whether or not he was interested in meeting Yugi's new friends. Yami was about agree, when Joey suddenly stood up.

"No."

Yugi looked surprised and disconcerted. "Oh. Okay, I guess--"

"No, Yug', 'cause... 'cause I want you to go out with me. Um, just me."

"Oh," Yugi said with an entirely different inflection.

"You know, if you want to. If you want to cancel on your--"

"Of course, I will," Yugi said with a smile. He glanced sideways at Yami and blushed. "I think that sounds like a great idea."

Joey grinned and then rubbed the back of his head. "Um, I don't know where, but--"

"Why not go to that American restaurant downtown?" Yami suggested.

Joey grinned at him and looked at Yugi. "Yeah, how about that?"

"That sounds fine." /Thanks, Yami./

//I think I will look for that hotel now.//

/Yami! Jeez, it's just dinner./

Yami chuckled mentally. //I know that. But you still need to sit down and talk through many things. Some things perhaps more personal than dinner conversation. It's not like you can talk in your minds like you and I.//

/True. But where will you go?/

//I'll worry about that, Aibou. Enjoy yourself.//

Yami meant that innocently, but Yugi blushed and mentally bonked him. Smiling, Yami saw them off before putting his wallet in his pants and leaving himself. Now that it was mid-April, it was becoming much warmer and he didn't need his jacket. He headed out and went to find himself something to eat. He headed downtown to the street vendors and got himself some eel in egg noodles and yakitori and strolled down the street, munching on his dinner.

He hoped the things between Yugi and Joey were going well.

Yami realized he was passing the Kaiba Corp. building. He looked up at the round, glass-walled top and then down as the doors opened. Kaiba himself was just coming out.

"You know, if I had as much luck running into Takanawa as I do you or Sentoryou, this would be over with already," Yami said.

Kaiba smirked, coming down the steps to the sidewalk, gesturing towards the carton in Yami's hands.

"Oh, damn, and I was just going to invite you to dinner."

Yami chuckled and fell into step with him when Kaiba headed towards the parking lot to get his car. He seemed to drive himself a lot lately.

"The twentieth is a Wednesday. I shall come over to Kaiba Corp. at midnight and we'll take care of him, is that all right?"

"Yami, for over six months that bastard has been taking every ounce of control over my life I have, has been threatening the only family I have, and making me run around like chicken with its head chopped off. Yes, that's all right."

Yami tossed his empty carton in a public trash can and brushed off his hands. "Sarcasm is not necessary."

"Have we met?"

Yami rolled his eyes and looked up at him. "Fine. Be a jerk. But maybe you should think about thanking me for helping you through all this."

"Hmph. I'm just using you because you're convenient. I could handle it myself."

"It's not too late for that if you're attempting to give me a hint."

"Oh, come off it. You like playing the hero, it's what you do."

"Funny. Joey said much the same."

"As much as I hate to agree with the Mutt about anything, it's because everyone that's spent more than five minutes with you knows how much of a glory hog you are."

"You can't stand to be with anyone for more than five minutes without insulting them, can you?"

"Mm, probably not."

"You're insufferable."

"Likewise."

Yami grunted and gestured towards the lot. "I'll see you on the--"

"Come on and get a drink with me."

Startled, Yami stared at him. Kaiba glared at him and made a gesture with the hand holding his suitcase.

"Yes or no?"

Kaiba started walking on down the sidewalk, past the lot. Yami went to catch up, walking alongside him down the sidewalk, letting him lead him to wherever he was going. It turned out to be a bar, but a more upscale one, here in the business district where it catered to upscale businessmen. Inside, it wasn't like regular bars, which were usually dark and cramped and smoky. Though this one was smoky with cigar smoke, it was brightly lit with cloth-covered tables like a restaurant. A few of the tables were occupied by suited businessmen talking to each other over cocktails, wine, and champagne.

A few people stared at them when they entered, but turned away to mind their own business after a bit. Kaiba gestured for Yami to sit down at a table near the window and he did, watching as Kaiba walked across to the bar, leaving his briefcase at the table with him, and placed an order.

When he came back, he was holding a pair of martinis. He set one down in front of Yami and took the chair across from him, sipping his own drink.

"Um...I must admit to being surprised," Yami said after a slight pause.

"Yeah, me too. Listen, I've been thinking. Even if we do...do this...there's going to be five other people in that house. Once he's... anyway, they'll know. And they might want revenge."

Kaiba was skipping over words like 'kill' and 'dead,' but Yami understood what he was getting at. "What do you want me to do? Take care of all of them?"

"They're all of a mold."

"True." Yami lifted up the martini. He'd never had one before and it wasn't bad. "I suppose you're right."

"Shadow Flare."

Yami coughed and set down his glass, looking up in dismay. Sentoryou was standing by the table, holding his briefcase in one hand and his suit jacket over the other arm. A couple of other men in business suits were standing with him and they glanced at him before turning and walking on. Yami heard one of them asking the other what the hell Shadow Flare meant.

"Ah. Hello, Sentoryou."

Sentoryou glanced at Kaiba, who was sitting silently and looking back at him blatantly. He turned his gaze back to Yami.

"Hello. How have you been?"

"Fine. Thank you. Yourself?"

Sentoryou nodded. "The same. I thought you two might be interested in knowing that Buck was sentenced to thirty-six years."

Yami blinked and swallowed. "I'm sorry."

"I'm not."

Sentoryou glared at Kaiba, and Yami looked at him in shock. Kaiba looked right back at Sentoryou and raised his martini glass, taking a drink. Sentoryou finally turned back to Yami.

"Well, goodbye."

Sentoryou turned and walked away, meeting up with the two men who were waiting with some patience over by the door. Yami watched the three of them leave the bar before he turned back to Kaiba.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I forget to mention he comes in here, too?"

Yami scowled at him. "Nice, Kaiba."

"I didn't know he was going to be here."

Yami picked up his glass and finished it. "In any event, perhaps we would do best to have a plan before the twentieth. Even though I may be unseen, I will still be contending with six men, and I cannot handle all of them at once."

"I thought no one could withstand your Mind Crush."

"They can't. But when they see their fellows falling down, do you not think they will start shooting? Invisibility is not going to help me against a barrage of bullets."

"Shh." Kaiba darted his eyes pointedly to the side, bringing up the fact that they were not alone in the bar.

He got up and went back to the tender before coming back with another pair of martini glasses. Yami accepted his, taking a drink of it.

"Well?" he prodded.

"Maybe we can split them up. Use your Rod to send some of them outside and I'll deal with them."

Yami studied Kaiba over the rim of his glass. Kaiba was toying with the toothpick full of green olives. Yami was mildly surprised by Kaiba's words. Was he so easy with taking lives? Yami's world was violent and a man lived by the sword. He'd been in a war before. But Kaiba was a modern teenager and it was different. In some strange way, Yami didn't want him to take that final step from which there was no return. But it looked as if there was little he could do about it. He had been right, there was no way to handle all of the men on his own. Even firing wildly, they were likely to hit him.

"Perhaps," was all he said.

They finished their drinks and left the bar. Walking back to the parking lot, Yami sighed and tucked his bangs back behind his ear.

"Oh, I forgot. Kaiba, would you do me a favor and drop me off at the Motorside Hotel?"

Kaiba frowned at him. "The Motorside? What happened, you have a fight with Yugi and Wheeler?"

"No. Actually, I'm giving them a night to themselves."

Kaiba made a face. "Ugh. All right, hop in."

"Thank you, Kaiba."

Kaiba grunted and got into the driver's side. Yami walked over to the passenger's side and climbed in. He pulled his wallet out of his pocket and checked the amount of money he had on him, setting the wallet down in the cupholder while he counted the bills. Kaiba drove him out to the Motorside Hotel and Yami pulled his wallet out of the cupholder and got out with a thanks. The front desk was being manned by the night manager, an old man who had extremely thick glasses and still could barely see. He gave Yami a key, telling him it was room 200 when it was 308.

Yami turned and walked out of the office, heading through the little tunnel hall between the office and the hotel rooms to reach the back of the building, going to the back stairs. He climbed up them to the third floor, about to open the door when Kaiba's voice startled him.

"You forgot this." He was holding Yami's ID in his hand. "It fell out. I just noticed it."

"Oh. Thank you." Yami took it. "You know you didn't have to come back."

Kaiba shrugged his shoulders. Yami stuck the ID into his front pocket, looking up at him.

"Thank you for the drinks, Kaiba."

He turned away to slide the keycard through the slot, turning the handle. Behind him, Kaiba growled softly and he looked over his shoulder. Kaiba was still standing there and Yami wished he would leave. As much as he hated to admit it, there was quite a lot of tension between them they didn't talk about. And damn if he didn't want to tell him to stay with him.

"What?"

"Just wondering what the hell it is about you that makes me want to do this."

Kaiba reached down and grabbed Yami around the waist, bending down to take his mouth in a kiss. Yami groaned and wound his arms around Kaiba's neck, stumbling backwards as he pushed at him through the opened door and into the room. They crossed it and Yami's knees hit the bed, causing both of them to topple onto it. Breaking the kiss, he gasped, looking up into Kaiba's face.

"Again?" he asked breathlessly.

"You can't tell me this doesn't do anything for you," Kaiba responded, doing his best to mimick his voice.

Yami scowled at him. "Getting me angry is not the way to go."

"Who are you kidding? Pissing each other off is like dirty talk to us."

Yami opened his mouth to protest and found he really had no grounds to do so. They did seem to have a pattern, anger then sex. He sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Whatever."

Kaiba chuckled and bent his head to kiss him again. Yami parted his lips, but fought against the invading tongue, tangling the fingers of one hand into his hair and gripping a handful of his trenchcoat with the other. No matter how warm out it got, Kaiba wore some sort of coat.

Kaiba's hands came up and unbuckled his neckbelt, tossing it down to the floor before sliding down and kissing along his throat. Yami sighed, tilting his head back and resting one hand on the bed near his head, the other still tangled in Kaiba's hair. He was kissing down his neck, one hand coming up to pull the strap of his shirt down, kissing down to his shoulder before lifting up to pull Yami's shirt up. Yami sat up and raised his arms so the shirt could come off.

It was dropped on the floor and Kaiba cupped Yami's face with one hand, leaning forward to kiss him softly, his other hand trailing over Yami's chest. He pinched and rolled one of his nipples, making Yami groan against his mouth, reaching up to grasp Kaiba's shoulders with his hands to try and pull him onto him. Kaiba resisted and broke the kiss, still balanced awkwardly on his knees at the very edge of the bed.

Yami pushed at Kaiba's coat, trying to slide it off his arms and Kaiba let him, shrugging it off before removing the straps around his biceps and the cuffs from his wrists, pulling his shirt out of his pants and lifting it over his head.

Kaiba gasped when Yami leaned in, kissing along his chest before opening his mouth and pulling one of his nipples inside. He sucked it, rubbing it with the tip of his tongue, resting his hands on Kaiba's hips. For some reason Yami hadn't done this before, but Kaiba sure seemed to enjoy it, one hand gripping the back of his head and holding him in place.

Yami ran his tongue in a circle around the nub, then slid his lips across his chest to the other, paying the same attention to it. Kaiba growled softly, then suddenly moved his hand from the back of his head to his chin, jerking his face up to claim his mouth. Yami gave in, letting him take over, groaning as Kaiba broke the kiss and pushed his head back further, sucking hard on his neck. He grabbed onto Kaiba's shoulders, a shudder running through him.

Kaiba pushed Yami back down onto his back and went down further, shoving the Puzzle impatiently out of his way, running his tongue over one of his nipples and making him arch. His mouth went down further, over his stomach, his hands running up his legs before grasping his belt and getting it unbuckled. Kaiba slid off the bed into a crouch; the fastenings were undone and the pants and underwear pulled down until they were caught by Yami's boots.

Kaiba grumbled, jerking his boots off and getting the pants, underwear, and socks off as well. Yami wasn't prepared for Kaiba's tongue running over his erection and he gasped, sitting up on his hands, just in time to watch Kaiba's eyes lock onto his as he opened his mouth and pulled him inside.

Yami cried out, as much in surprise as pleasure, his hands clenching on the bedsheets and head falling back. He closed his eyes, shuddering again when Kaiba sucked and began to bob his head over him. He never would have thought he'd do this, which made it all the better. Every suck from his mouth sent a bolt of pleasure through him and he moaned, gripping the bedsheets tighter.

"K-Kaiba."

Yami's breathing was growing ragged and he could feel the tremors running through his body as he grew closer to the edge. Kaiba sucked harder, his head bobbing faster, tongue rolling against his cock. Yami whined softly as that tongue ran over the very tip, electrifying him. His hand came forward and gripped Kaiba's hair reflexively, his spine curving forward so he was bent over him, another cry torn from his throat as he came.

Kaiba swallowed and reached up to pull Yami's relaxed hand out of his hair, sitting back on his haunches. Yami remained bent forward a little, gasping for breath before he slowly lay down on his back, his body trembling. Kaiba stood up and went into the bathroom, returning with the small bottle of lotion. Yami didn't get much rest as Kaiba pulled him up by his arm, having to support his weight for a minute before Yami could get his trembling legs to hold him.

Yami looked up at him dazedly, just as Kaiba bent down and kissed him again. He moaned, gripping Kaiba's biceps, tasting himself in his mouth when his tongue invaded him again. Kaiba broke the kiss and smirked. Yami got himself back together and reached down, unbuckling Kaiba's belt and pulling down his zipper. It was his turn to moan a little and close his eyes when Yami cupped him and rubbed a little. Yami smiled and got his pants off properly while Kaiba awkwardly toed his boots off.

Yami grabbed Kaiba around the waist and pressed a kiss to his chest before he found himself grabbed back. One of Kaiba's hands darted down and grabbed the chain of the Puzzle. Yami grabbed that hand, for a moment looking up at him, finding him looking back at him intently.

Slowly Yami let go of Kaiba's hand and stood still while he lifted the Puzzle up over his head. Still looking at him, Kaiba reached around him and dropped the Puzzle gently on the edge of the bed. Yami smiled, and Kaiba twisted them around, then shoved Yami back until his back hit the wall next to the window. He gasped softly, wrapping his arms around Kaiba's shoulders as the other opened the bottle of lotion and poured some onto his fingers.

The bottle was set on the windowsill and Kaiba reached down, jerking one of Yami's thighs up and holding it against his hip, his slicked fingers beginning to slowly push into him. Yami closed his eyes, feeling the slide of his fingers, the stretching, moaning when Kaiba brushed his sweet spot. Kaiba bent his head and nibbled at his ear and down his neck, slowly removing his fingers.

Yami felt Kaiba shift to get more lotion and slick his erection before the bottle was returned to the sill. Kaiba then grabbed his thighs again and lifted him up, holding him against the wall as he entered him. Yami groaned, closing his eyes and gripping his shoulders more tightly, pulled all the way down on Kaiba's erection.

Kaiba paused, resting his chin on Yami's shoulder, giving him a chance to adjust. After a moment, Yami opened his eyes and lifted his head, kissing jaw and cheek, growling softly.

"Move."

Kaiba smirked and began to thrust, holding Yami easily against the wall, his legs held tightly against his sides. Yami shivered, digging his fingers into his shoulders, turning his head to nibble on Kaiba's ear. He groaned in response, speeding up and thrusting sinuously, striking Yami's prostate and infusing him with pleasure again.

Beginning to pant, Yami moaned against the side of Kaiba's head, growing hard all over again at the stimulation. For a moment he just held onto Kaiba, breathing harshly and just feeling, before he ran one hand down Kaiba's back, digging the nails of his other hand into his skin, dropping his head down to nibble at Kaiba's neck.

Kaiba tilted his head back to bare his throat, his groan vibrating beneath Yami's lips, hips bucking against him harder, making his back slide against the wall. Yami cried out at the suddenly faster, deeper pace, arching against the hotel room wall, his head making a thud. Kaiba's teeth latched onto his collarbone and his fingers were digging painfully into his thighs, which he abruptly let go of to move a little from the wall, wrapping his arms tightly around Yami's waist before pushing him back against it hard.

"Kaiba..." Yami gasped in his ear. "Oh, gods!"

The rhythm was beginning to break up as they neared the end and Yami reached down between their stomachs to grasp his renewed erection, stroking. It was hardly necessary now and it sent him over the edge immediately with a yell. Ecstasy tore through him in a wave and took his mind with it.

"Yami." Kaiba breathed his name against his neck a second before he came as well, filling Yami deeply before he slowed his thrusts and stopped.

Yami remained held up against the wall as they both struggled for breath, Kaiba leaning against Yami to support himself, the both of them trembling and exhausted. After a long moment, Kaiba slowly withdrew and lowered Yami to stand on his feet.

Yami looked up and Kaiba bent down, kissing him lightly as he walked backwards towards the bed, pulling Yami with him. He sat down on the edge and pulled Yami up to straddle his lap, still kissing him. Yami kissed him back, running his hands through Kaiba's hair before he drew away and slid off his lap, flopping down on the bed with a sated sigh.

He looked down as the bed dipped again and he watched as Kaiba gathered up his Puzzle and crawled up onto the bed beside him. He held out the Puzzle and Yami slowly took it, watching him grab the sheets and pull them up over them. Yami set the Puzzle lightly on the side table, watching as Kaiba lay down on his side facing him, resting his cheek on one arm stretched out to the head of the bed, his other arm resting across Yami's stomach over the sheets.

Kaiba stared back at him and Yami smiled, tilting his head to press a brief kiss to his lips before turning over to snap off the light and settle down, Kaiba spooned against his back.

******

Yami walked into the apartment, setting the keys and his wallet down on the side table beside the couch before he walked into the kitchen, where he could hear noises.

Yugi was in there, making himself a sandwich. Yami smiled and walked over to his hikari.

//Good morning, Aibou.//

Yugi turned his head and smiled back. /Morning, Yami./

Yami looked around for Joey and didn't see him. //How did it go?//

Yugi smiled and shrugged. /It was fine./

Yami grinned and went to the refrigerator to get himself a can of soda before coming over to the counter and beginning to make himself a sandwich as well. Beside him Yugi was quiet for a minute before he glanced at him.

/We really talked, you know. We were probably up 'til three, just talking...about everything./ Yugi took a bite of his sandwich while they stood there. That was the great thing about their mind link, they didn't have to have their mouths free to talk. /And I think, I think we really got everything out in the open, you know?/

Yami nodded, putting his own sandwich together and turning to face him. //That's good, Aibou.//

/We're going out tomorrow night, too, since I have a shift tonight./ Yugi took another bite of his sandwich.

Yami took a bite of his own. //I'm glad for you.//

/Yeah. Me too./

******

Over the next couple of days, Yami and Joey were both studiously keeping an eye on Yugi. Though he seemed all right, he was growing quieter and more brooding the closer they got to the 18th.

On the fourteenth, Yugi went to his first support group meeting, without announcing it or talking about it, he just went. When he came home, he didn't want to talk about it, except to tell them quietly that there were over thirty people there.

The fifteenth saw them back at the Shintaka Center for Yugi's appointment with Dr. Ashford. The doctor was extremely pleased with Yugi's progress, his tolerance of his new medication, and his ease with working his new job. He took some vitals and drew some blood, had Yugi perform a few exercises, before he sent them home again.

But before they went, Dr. Ashford drew Yami to the side while Joey was standing with Yugi to sign him out.

"How is Yugi doing?" he asked him quietly.

"Fine."

"I mean..." Dr. Ashford glanced at Yugi and then back to Yami. "With the 18th almost here?"

"He seems...okay." Yami bit his lip and admitted, "Joey and I are confused. He's quiet, but we would have thought he would want to talk about it, or-- He only went to one meeting at the support group and he didn't want to talk about that either."

"Hm. I'm not qualified for it, so I can't really give you a proper opinion, but everyone deals differently. Just watch him. You still have that number and prescription I gave you?"

Yami nodded. "I don't think he needs them."

"Perhaps not, but keep them anyway and if you need anything, give me or Dr. Miller a call."

Yami said goodbye and the three of them went home. Yugi and Joey had had their second date and seemed to be getting along quite well. And Yugi had gone out with his friends a couple more times. They'd come to the apartment once and seemed like nice, easy-going people. Yugi liked them a lot and was spending more time with them, even coming home late at night a couple of times over the course of the week.

He seemed to be doing all right. But Yami wished he would say something about what he was feeling. Yugi always kept it bottled up, and Yami was beginning to think he and Joey should just sit him down and make him talk about it.

On the eighteenth, he came home from his shift at the Fine Art World, intent on doing just that. Joey caught up with him on the front walk and Yami stopped him before they went in, sharing his opinion.

"Yeah, maybe you're right," he said. "It's probably for his own good. But I don't look forward to this."

Yami opened the front door and flicked on the light. They both stopped dead in the doorway, staring into the room in horror.

Yugi lay face-down on the living room floor.

tbc…

A/N: Sorry, just one this time.


	62. Chapter 62

Chapter Sixty-Two:

Seto drummed his fingers on his desk top and glared at the clock. It was half-past midnight on the twentieth of April. Where was Yami? They were supposed to do this, finally get rid of Takanawa, and he hadn't showed. What the hell? He'd never let him down before.

Had something happened? Seto's anger cooled just enough to consider the possibility that Takanawa had gotten to Yami. He didn't know how, but it was possible.

But if he had, why hadn't he called Seto to taunt him? Or, why hadn't Seto gotten some piece of Yami in the mail? No, it seemed unlikely that Yami was a prisoner of Takanawa, which meant he'd ducked out for some other reason.

Should Seto try and contact him? It was a snap to get their number, considering their new apartment had to be listed under Joey's name and getting their information from the telephone directory was simple. Once he had it, Seto dialed the apartment, but got no answer. He let it ring several times before hanging up.

What to do now? He didn't know what had kept Yami, so he would just have to plan alone.

Well, he was Seto Kaiba. It was time he went back to handling things on his own. It was what he did, and he didn't need anyone else's help. Though he wasn't sure what he was going to do. Now that he knew Takanawa's address, the mechanical mutt was unnecessary. Although he'd keep the tracker remotes just in case Takanawa jumped ship again. They would always be helpful.

For now, he decided to just go home and get some sleep. Maybe he could find Yami tomorrow, find out why he'd failed to show up, and maybe get their plan started again a day later.

Seto got up and pulled on his trenchcoat, grabbed his briefcase, and locked up his office, heading downstairs. Outside, he turned to the right to head for his car in the parking lot. He pulled out his keys and started to fit the door key into the lock, and was blitzed from behind.

Seto's jaw hit the top of his car when a forearm slammed into the nape of his neck and a hand pressed into his back between his shoulderblades, shoving him forward and pinning him against the car. He felt someone lean against his back, speaking into his ear, and the breath was putrid with the smells of onions and beer.

"Hello, Kaiba. Late night?"

Seto turned his head, seeing a man with dark hair and eerily pale blue eyes. He was not alone; Seto could see another man with similar hair and eyes standing behind the first man, the muzzle of a cannon of a handgun pointed at Seto over the first man's shoulder. He smiled like the first man and waved with his free hand.

"We were beginning to think you'd never come down," the second man said. "I'm surprised you don't just live in your office."

"I take it you're Takanawa's goons."

"See? I knew you were smart."

The first man jerked Seto away from the car, turned him around, and slammed him back into his car again, rocking it on its wheels. Seto glared, the man holding a handful of his collar in one hand and pressing the other against his sternum. He was completely unconcerned with the fact that Seto's hands were free and raised up, which was no surprise considering the enormous gun still pointed in his face. The goon was pressing against Seto to keep him pinned to the car, his face a couple inches from him, which bathed his own in that rancid breath.

"There's this new invention, called a mint. Maybe you should check it out."

Instead of getting mad, the first goon laughed, then 'haa-ed' in Seto's face. Groaning, Seto turned his face to the side, his nose wrinkling. The second guy cracked up behind the first, but despite that, his aim didn't waver in the slightest. He was a professional. He could probably shoot Seto directly through the eye from a hundred yards.

"Let's cut to the chase," the first guy said. "And go for a ride."

Seto was jerked away from his car again, but instead of being pulled to a waiting vehicle, the first guy pulled the keys out of his hand, unlocked the door, and pressed the automatic unlock on the side panel. He opened the back door and shoved Seto inside, pressing down on his head like a cop. The second guy immediately followed as soon as the first stepped back, holding the gun on Seto the entire time. He closed his door without taking his eyes off Seto, while his friend got into the driver's seat, shutting his door, buckling his safety belt, and turning on the engine.

"Don't try anything," the second goon warned. "The boss really wants to talk to you personally, but that doesn't mean we're not allowed to shoot you dead."

"Good to know."

He sat up straight in his seat, eyes forward, completely ignoring the man beside him. The guy didn't take his eyes off him for a second, giving him no chance to grab for the gun. Besides, he was pretty sure the guy in the front seat was packing, too. So he was forced to just sit there and enjoy the long ride.

But half-way through it, Seto suddenly remembered something. Takanawa lived in Matsubase, Kumamoto on Kyushu Island and Domino was on Honshu, but they were driving. So they weren't going to Takanawa's home address. Unless he'd moved again. But he didn't say anything about it.

He was right, they didn't go to Takanawa's home, whether or not he'd moved. Instead, they drove to Tokyo to the shipping district and to a warehouse. Knowing this didn't bode well for him, Seto didn't say anything, making sure he appeared unafraid.

"Okay, everybody out," the first goon said when he'd pulled Seto's car in front of the warehouse.

He got out of the driver's seat and came around the front of the car while the second remained sitting, the gun still on Seto. When Seto opened his door and climbed out, the first guy had pulled an equally big handgun out of a shoulder holster beneath his coat and was training it on him so the second guy could take his eyes off Seto in order to get out of the backseat himself.

Seto shut his door, looking the first goon in the eyes without looking away. The guy stared him down for a long moment, then grinned and gestured with his gun for Seto to head to the warehouse, his friend coming around the trunk of the car to join them.

Seto turned and walked to the warehouse. The loading bay was open and Seto walked up the ramp, the two goons behind him. Ignoring them, he entered the darkened warehouse, letting his eyes adjust to the gloom that was lit only by a single bare bulb hanging from the raftered ceiling.

Most of the warehouse was crammed with metal containers, cardboard boxes, and wooden crates. A pathway stretched between the stacks of boxes, just wide enough for someone to push a dolly through, and Seto walked the length of it. At the end was a wide clearing in the stacks, and in that clearing was a long, metal table. Seated at the table were four men.

One was the ugly man whom Seto had made a deal with. Two were Japanese men, one with a katana leaning against his shoulder, his arms folded around it, and the second man had half an ear on one side of his head with a skull earring in the whole ear on the other side.

The fourth man was Takanawa. Seto remembered what he looked like from the portrait in the house that had blown up. He was sitting in the middle of the table, with the Japanese men flanking him while the ugly goon was across from the guy holding the katana. Takanawa was a short man with hair the color of steel wool, narrow black eyes, and a content smirk on his face. He had lost quite a bit of weight since the picture Seto had found on the Internet of him standing next to Gozaburo and the time the portrait was painted.

Takanawa was a Japanese man with a look that screamed arrogance and cruelty. Seeing him in person, Seto realized he was up against someone more dangerous than he'd first thought. He could just feel it.

Seto glanced briefly around the warehouse as he walked up to the table. The bare bulb hung directly over the table, but it wasn't the only thing hanging from the ceiling. To the left of the table, on Seto's right, hung a thick chain like one would expect to see connecting a boat to its anchor. But instead of an anchor, the chain ended on a thick hook. Seto suspected the contraption was used to lift heavy crates from the top of the stacks and lower them to the floor or vice versa.

Resting on the end of the metal table, in front of the man with the skull earring, was a tray of tools one would expect to see in an operating room. Not a good sign.

"Welcome, kiddo," Takanawa said. "Please, have a seat."

The two pale-eyed goons behind him grabbed his shoulders, shoved him forward around an empty seat next to the ugly man, and then forced him to sit down. Takanawa smiled, then waved his hand at the two goons.

"Easy. Kaiba is our guest."

"Well, I'm glad I get the chance to see you face-to-face," Seto said. "After so long, I was beginning to think I never would."

"I hope I meet up to your expectations."

"You're a little short."

The man on Takanawa's left and diagonally right to Seto, Skull Ear, growled a little. However, Takanawa only laughed. "You know, there really is a difference between book smarts and street smarts. You could make a computer from scratch, but you don't know enough to keep your mouth shut."

Seto said nothing. After all, unlike the Mutt, he knew when to keep quiet.

"But you can learn. Max, Andrew, why don't you go get Hans for us?"

The two pale-eyed men walked around from Seto to the back of the room, disappearing around a row of stacks. Though their cannons were no longer trained on him, Seto knew each and every man was armed. Takanawa continued to look at him, a pleasant smile on his face. Seto looked back at him steadily, ignoring the gazes of the two men on either side of him. Beside Seto, the ugly goon was looking elsewhere. Seto resisted the urge to look at him.

"I suppose you're wondering why you're here," Takanawa said after a moment of silence. "After all this time. After I've known where you've lived since day one and you haven't moved to escape me. I wonder, are you just so confident that you didn't think you needed to change addresses?"

"I saw no reason to, since I'm not afraid of you."

"That'll change," Skull Ear said.

Takanawa looked at him out of the corners of his eyes and the man fell silent, looking down at the table, chastised without words to keep quiet. Turning back to Seto, Takanawa smiled again.

"Mm. Anyway, you're here because I know you were at my house over my vacation. I don't have any proof, of course. None of my associates saw you and you're not on my cameras, but I know it was you, somehow. Hell, perhaps you've invented yourself a little bug robot and it flew around with a teeny camera."

Seto snorted. "You're a fan of Isaac Asinov, aren't you?"

"Who?"

Seto sighed and just stared at him. Takanawa shrugged his shoulders and went back to what he was saying.

"Even though no one saw you, it couldn't be anyone but you. I'd like to know how you managed to do it without being seen, but that question isn't at the top of my list of most important. No, what I wanted to know is how you found my newest address. Since I blew up my property in Osaka, there are no records to be found. My newest house is under one of my aliases, which you could not possibly know about, since it's a brand-new one that even the cops don't know. The only way you could have found out that address is if you had inside help."

Seto did not look at the man next to him. He didn't know if he had been betrayed and therefore betraying the goon would be stupid. After all, Takanawa could have come to the obvious conclusion that Seto was there a couple of weeks ago all on his own. Even he had to have that brain-power.

"So I made an inquest among my associates. I don't like people who are not one-hundred-percent loyal. It's one of my pet peeves. And do you know what I found?"

As if on cue, Max and Andrew came back, dragging a third man between them. This one was a scrawny rat of a man with blond hair. He had his hands tied behind his back, more rope wound around the length of his torso, and was suspended between the pale-eyed goons, his feet dragging without any attempt to walk, head hanging forward. Seto didn't think he was conscious.

At Takanawa's instruction, the man with the skull earring got to his feet and crossed to another wall, to the right of the table and Seto's left. In a gap in the crates was a control box and when he pushed a button, the hook-and-chain lowered with clanking sounds. The pale-eyed men dragged him over to it and slipped the hook through several coils of the rope. Skull Earring pressed another button and the chain retracted, lifting the hook just enough to put the blond man on his toes.

"Meet Hans Gustaf. As he prefers to be called. It is very similar to John Smith in English, very common among Germans. Among us, he's known as The Ferret, and not just because that's what he looks like. He's very good at digging out information on our enemies. Very good at reconnaissance. But now I know he's The Rat, the one who's been letting out all my little secrets. Shin there caught him meeting with an undercover FBI agent."

Takanawa tsked his tongue while Shin--Skull Earring--smiled like a kid being praised by daddy. The ugly goon was looking over at Hans, Max, and Andrew, his face blank. The man with the katana remained in the same position he'd held the entire time, his eyes never leaving Seto's face. He was a man who did the quiet killing, Seto was sure. A man with ninja skills. If it were just the two of them, the man would probably be able to unsheath that sword, sever Seto's head from his neck, and resheath his sword before Seto even realized the man had moved and he was dead.

"Max, wake Ferret for me."

Max, the shorter of the two pale-eyed men, turned to the bound Hans and pulled a rag and a tiny vial out of his pocket. Instead of being knocked unconscious, it looked like Hans had been drugged or even perhaps blood-choked until he passed out.

Max poured a few drops of the wake-up agent into the cloth and held the scrap underneath Hans' nose. The blond man jerked a little, then rolled his head slowly on his neck, groaning softly. Hazel-colored eyes fluttered open and Hans' head came forward again. He blinked several times, clearly disoriented.

"Welcome back, Ferret," Takanawa said pleasantly. "Good very early morning."

Hans blinked again, then raised his head, eyes widening. He twisted a little on the hook, finding his weight barely resting on his toes.

"B-Boss," he stammered.

Seto understood what was happening. Takanawa didn't suspect the as-yet-unnamed man at all for helping him. He thought Hans had given out his address. The man beside Seto was still studiously silent, his eyes on Hans.

"You know, Kaiba, a man is only as good as his reputation. And you, Ferret, you didn't have many nice things to say about me to that nice agent, did you?"

Hans' eyes widened even more. He twisted again. "No! Boss, please," he said in heavily-accented Japanese. "Please, Boss, I wasn't. I was saying only good things, I swear! I was telling that agent you weren't part of the Yakuza, that you were just an innocent businessman!"

Takanawa smiled, which was not a good thing. He leaned back in his chair, pressing his hands together like he was praying, and touched the tips of his fingers to his bottom lip. "That would be very dumb of you. Not a single police officer would buy that for a second. I've got quite a rap sheet from my younger, stupider days, though I learned to stay out of trouble. No matter how much time passes from my last arrest, I'll never get the police's trust again, and you know that. The only reason I'm not in prison right now is because I've gotten smart enough to cover my tracks. They might not be able to prove it, but they're well aware I'm dirty and there's no way you can tell me otherwise.

"But you are telling me...you've never betrayed me, Ferret? A man needs to know he can trust his friends, you know. No one likes someone who is disloyal."

"I swear, Boss! Maybe one of your other--"

Hans had said exactly the wrong thing. Takanawa's eyes narrowed and he scowled, the look on his face sufficient to stop Hans in the middle of his plea. Takanawa slowly got to his feet, folding his hands behind his back and walked over to where Hans hung, looking down at the floor while he walked. His expression was now almost contemplative. He stopped in front of Hans and looked up. Though he was not as tiny as Yami, or especially Yugi, Takanawa was only about five-six or five-seven and the hanging 'Ferret's' pleading grey-green eyes were several inches over his head.

"Am I assuming you were just about to suggest one of my other associates is responsible for our guest knowing where I and my family reside?" he asked. "Maybe I didn't make myself clear. I don't like tattle-tellers, Ferret! I've suspected you for quite some time, Hans. You've been tailed for the past three months, and Shin tells me you've met with this agent twice in that time. Care to explain?"

"I-I...Boss, I swear I didn't say anything!"

"Mr. Kaiba, perhaps you could clear matters up."

Seto was watching Takanawa, and didn't look at the real betrayer to see if he was looking at him. He just stared at Takanawa without saying anything at all. He wasn't going to say, 'Oh, yeah, he's your guy' but he also wasn't going to say, 'No, you've got the wrong man!' Saying anything right now would be stupid, admitting he'd been to Takanawa's house at all. After all, the mob boss didn't actually know for certain he'd been there, he'd said as much. He was waiting for Seto to hang himself.

But would the ugly man say anything?

Takanawa smirked. "Be silent if you want."

He turned away from Hans and began to pace back and forth behind the table, at the back of the man with the katana, his hands still behind his back. Seto kept his eyes on him, ignoring the rest in the room. Hans made a couple of pitiful whimpers and mutters in German.

"Mr. Kaiba, I know there is no way you could have found me without help. And no one outside of this warehouse--other than my wife and son--know where I moved to. So someone in this warehouse has to be responsible. You, Ferret, already have suspicion against you. Do you know why I bothered to have you followed to begin with? I'm sure you know. About eighteen kilos of product have gone missing in a six-month period. The funny thing is, each time some of my property turned up short, you were the common denominator as a mule. Yes, every time you were one of the movers, while the rest of my friends have no such pattern. So there is really only one thing I can think of; you're stealing from me. So I had Shin follow you for me, and lo and behold, not only has product gone missing on your watch, but you're meeting with an undercover agent. I know, I know, Agent Takeuchi thinks no one knows, but there's not a single member of the Yakuza who doesn't know who he is. We're just happy to let him pretend so we can find out leaks like you."

"Boss."

"Quiet." Takanawa glanced at Seto. "I'm sure you're wondering why I had my boys invite you here personally. I can't help but wonder if you have anyone important to you. I know you don't have a pretty lady you're sweet on, for two reasons. One, you're hardly the type to be sweet on anyone. In fact, I'll bet you're as businesslike between the sheets as you are in the office."

Shin guffawed from where he was still standing by the hook-and-chain power box. Takanawa looked over at him and Shin went abruptly silent, looking down at the floor. Turning his attention back to Seto, Takanawa went on.

"Two, I happen to know pretty ladies aren't your type. I have it from a very reliable source--someone not here, I thought it best you don't know everyone working for me, since they're so useful in tailing you--I have it that you're a frequent customer of the Fire Room down on Forty-Ninth."

Takanawa stopped pacing and looked at him steadily.

"I must admit, I'm quite surprised. I would never have suspected you were a fairy." Seto didn't react to the insulting slur. "Sure, you're as groomed as a housecat, but being proud of your appearance is hardly a sign of being queer. After all, I'm in the best shape I've been in since I was your age."

Takanawa turned sideways and pressed one hand against his stomach, pushing his suit jacket against himself, showing just how trim he was.

"I rather had to," he said. "I've got a twenty-four-year-old wife to keep up with." Takanawa leered. "Not to mention a five-year-old. So being particular about how you look wasn't any clue. And you're definitely not the type I'd expect to have a swish in his walk. You're tough as nails, as aggressive and violent as any man here. It was a bit of a shocker. By the way, my boy loves that damn robot dog. Last night, he was playing with it so much, I offered him five dollars to put it up and go to bed. He told me he wouldn't settle for anything less than twenty."

Takanawa sighed heavily, looking into space with a smile on his face.

"They can make you so proud, can't they?" he said rhetorically. "He takes after his father, that's for sure. Speaking of fatherhood, your brother's lovely little wife is probably getting quite big in the middle by now."

Seto felt a little chill. Takanawa knew who Mokuba and Marianne were and where they lived, that was also established. But he couldn't know she was pregnant unless he or one of his associates had been in sight of her recently. But then Takanawa inadvertently relieved him.

"And, kid, I wanted to congratulate you, on getting your brother and his wife out of my reach. I really don't know where they are. Which brings me back to my original thought. With Mokuba and Marianne off the map, I guess that just leaves you."

Seto knew Takanawa's rambling had a point to it. Other than to irritate Seto, he was tormenting Hans with terrible expectation. As well as allowing him to hang from the ropes. The force of gravity pulling his weight againt the ropes, tightening them around his biceps and chest, had to be hurting by now. And despite his words, he knew he had to keep the idea that Takanawa did in fact know of the island in mind. Telling him he didn't know where they were could be a lie.

"I think you're thinking I'm going to kill you," Takanawa said to Seto. "Well, I'm pretty tempted by it, but I don't think I going to. You're too much fun to have as my bitch."

Seto narrowed his eyes but otherwise didn't respond. That slight movement was enough to please Takanawa. He grinned and turned around to face Hans again.

"But you're beginning to get out of control. I found those trackers in that dog. I don't really appreciate you fucking with my kid's birthday present. Now, I know I've been letting you off easy lately on doing what I want you to, but that's going to change. And I thought I'd remind you just what happens to those who really piss me off."

"Boss," Hans whined. "Please."

"Max, Andrew, have a seat."

The two came over and sat down in the empty chairs on Seto's right, while the ugly man remained silent on his left and the man with the katana remained diagonally across from him to the left. Takanawa mentioned him directly for the first time.

"This man here is known as Katana, as I'm sure you can guess why."

"Very original."

"Katana is my right-hand man. He's been with me since before I even met your father. Doesn't look fifty-six, does he?"

Katana certainly didn't. Medium-sized, wirily muscled in the way a tiger was, with a full head of raven-black hair and not a wrinkle visible, Katana looked no older than late thirties. He was still silent and hadn't moved a muscle in all this time except to blink. His staring was unnerving, which was the point.

"Katana, if you would be so kind."

Takanawa sat down while Katana got slowly to his feet, his arms still folded across his chest, the sword still held against his chest by the pressure of his arms. He turned to his left with the precision of a soldier and walked forward until he was standing slightly to the right of the bound Hans, then about-faced and stood like a statue. Hans was looking at him with abject terror, his face the color of curdled milk.

"Please," Hans begged again. "Please, Boss, give me one more chance."

"Andrew, up you get again. Get the hand board."

Andrew got up and disappeared around the stacks again. Katana stood immobile while Hans squirmed, sweated, and begged. Shin continued to stand by the power box while Max, the unnamed man, and Takanawa sat with their heads turned towards Hans. Seto kept looking between Takanawa and Katana.

Andrew came back, holding board about three feet long and a foot wide that had holes drilled at both ends. Beneath the board was a smaller bit of wood like the rudder of a surfboard with its own hole drilled into it. Below the hole, a final piece of wood, relatively thin and curved like a violin bow, was attached to the rudder piece. Twine was threaded through these holes. Over Andrew's other arm was a length of rope. He walked over to Hans, pulling a knife out of his pocket. He handed the board off to Max, who got up to help without a word from Takanawa. Andrew cut through some of the ropes behind Hans, freeing his arms. Hans started kicking and squirming, but Max and Andrew managed to hold him and he was still hanging from the hook.

Wrestling with the frightened man, Andrew and Max got Hans' right arm through the twine loops in the board, pulling them tight and tying them off. One loop wound around his forearm just in front of his elbow, while the other, smaller loop tightened around his middle finger. The contraption kept him from bending his arm or curling his fingers into a fist. The thick twine looped through the rudder triangle on the bottom was tied around Hans' chest, which kept him from lowering his arm at his side from the shoulder. The curved bow piece fit snugly against Hans' ribcage, keeping him from sweeping his arm from side to side. Now his arm was extended outward, like he was half-crucified, only with his hand palm-down rather than palm-back.

Andrew and Max weren't done. They took the extra length of rope, forced Hans' legs violently up, and tied his ankles together before then tying the bound ankles to one of the loops of rope around Hans' waist. This put him in an extremely uncomfortable kneeling position, with his ankles nearly pressed into his rear-end.

Max and Andrew came and sat down. Shin pushed the button on the power box and the chain-and-hook clanked down, until Hans' bent knees were only a couple inches off the floor. This put his extended arm even with Katana's stomach.

"Begin, Katana," Takanawa said as Shin sat back in his seat after pulling it back from the table to as not to interrupt Takanawa's view.

Katana moved, turning towards Hans, unfolding his arms and taking the hilt of his katana in his right hand. He turned it horizontal to the floor, took the sheath in his left hand, and slowly pulled the shining blade free.

"Katana, no," Hans whispered.

Katana ignored him. Without looking, Katana put the sheath on the table behind him. Seto wanted to look away from Hans, but he didn't.

The blade flashed, becoming a silvered blur.

Hans shrieked. All four of his fingers, from his index to his pinkie, were severed just before the third knuckle. They fell to the floor, blood spurting from the stumps all over Katana's black shirtfront; he didn't flinch. The blood continued to spurt with each beat of Hans' heart. The blond man screamed again, head thrown back, eyes squeezed shut, mouth wide open in anguish.

Katana moved his sword again. Off came the thumb.

"Oh, gods!" Hans screamed. He fell to German, the guttural words leaving his throat in jerks.

Katana moved the bloody tip of his sword point-down and drew it along Hans' right thigh, opening a narrow, long gash. Blood ran from the wound, making his grey slacks stick to his skin. Katana drew a parallel line to it, then moved forward in front of Hans, drawing two more into Hans' left thigh.

At the rate he was going, maybe Hans would die quick. As it was, he was in agony, thrashing on the hook, beginning to swing like a pendulum.

Six more lines, horizontal and parallel, were drawn with expert precision into Hans' torso from his abdomen to his chest just below his collarbone. Despite the quick movements of the sword, Katana came nowhere near severing the loops of rope holding Hans to the hook.

Blood was now forming a small pool beneath Hans' bent knees. He was screaming continuously, begging in a broken mix of Japanese and German.

Katana stopped and stepped back. For a moment, Seto thought maybe that would be it, but he was being naive. Max and Andrew got up, and switched the surfboard contraption to Hans' other arm, having to struggle with the twisting man.

Off came the fingers of that hand, too. And despite all of the bleeding wounds, Seto knew it would take at least a half hour for the five litres of blood in the grown man to drain. Even thirty minutes would be a lifetime to the suffering Hans.

Katana moved to Hans' back and drew six more slashes. His clothes were adhering to his front with blood and his shining silver blade now wore a sleeve of sticky scarlet. Katana moved back to stand at Hans' right where he'd been to begin with, the sword held lightly but securely in his right hand, the blade tip resting against the floor.

"Hans. Hans!" Takanawa shouted over Hans' sobbing and screaming.

The blond man managed to get a hold of himself just enough to open his eyes and look at Takanawa, his face spattered with drops of blood and streaked with tears. He whined, stopping his kicking and just swinging from the hook, looking at Takanawa with a wet, tortured gaze. He sniffled and went silent.

"You've lost all your fingers," Takanawa said calmly. "That signifies the sense of touch, and your sticky fingers with my product. Now, I think the sense of sound should be next, since you listened to all of my secrets, where they should have stopped; in your ears."

"No. No, Boss, please, please!"

Katana didn't even have to wait for Takanawa to tell him to take the next step directly. The sword whistled through the air and Hans' right ear bounced off his shoulder and hit the floor with a faint, wet thwap. Seto winced while Shin laughed. He reached up and touched the mutilated ear on the left side of his head.

"That does hurt like a bitch, even if mine went with a bullet."

The rest of the men in the room laughed, except for Katana and, of course, Hans. Behind Seto, the unnamed man's laugh sounded slightly forced, but no one else noticed.

Katana paced around Hans from the back, the tip of his katana scraping lightly across the concrete floor, his movements as fluid as a cat's on the prowl. The sword flashed abruptly and the left ear hit the floor. More blood ran down from Hans' head, soaking his shoulders, more splatters pattering the floor.

Katana stopped again, this time on Hans' left, the sword angled downward again. Takanawa thought for a minute, while Hans cried like a baby. Seto felt his stomach churning.

"The saying is, in one ear and out the other. But I think in your case, it was in one ear and out your mouth, Ferret."

Shin, Max, and Andrew snickered. The unnamed man and Katana were silent.

Shin got up, looked down at the tray of tools on the table, and selected something that had two U-shaped metal prongs on either end of a four-inch long metal pole the thickness of Q-tip. On a sob, Shin grabbed Hans' jaw and jammed the device into his mouth. Four inches was too long and man's mouth split open along the corners of his lips. He screamed, his jaws propped open by the instrument.

"Boss, can I?" Shin asked.

Katana took a few paces back, out of the way. Takanawa nodded and Shin laughed. He selected a scalpel from the tray and grabbed Hans' jaw again. Though his head and shoulders were in the way, nothing blocked Hans' fresh howls. He made a gurgling noise and Seto knew he was choking on his own blood.

A wet thud followed and Shin stepped back, the scalpel and his hands and shirtfront bloody. Hans gurgled, gagged, and choked, blood pouring out of his mouth, down his chin and neck. A pink bit of meat lay on the gory floor, unmistakably Hans' tongue.

Hans made a wailing noise, unable to make speech now but still able to scream. Shin wiped his hands off with a hankerchief he pulled out of his pocket. He sat down again and Takanawa smiled.

"You must be in so much pain, Hans. You should have thought more before you acted, shouldn't you have? Katana, I think Ferret went to *see* Agent Takeuchi, don't you?"

His meaning was clear and Katana moved to face Hans. The blond man made noises that sounded like he was trying to say 'no' without a tongue. Katana paid no mind. The katana came up, angled for a piercing thrust.

It was too much and Seto had to shut his eyes, his stomach heaving though he managed to keep what was left of his meal down. But Hans' screams reverberated through the warehouse, echoing despite the deafening effect of so much cramped space. Sick slurping sounds reached Seto's ears and his stomach threatened him again. Hans continued to scream and wail, sobbing brokenly. Seto heard the clanking of the chain moving again, but he didn't look.

"Oh, I think the little boy couldn't handle it," Takanawa said sweetly.

Seto slowly turned his head and opened his eyes, looking across the table at Takanawa, who was now facing the right way, his hands folded on the tabletop, back straight. Shin was sitting back in his place at Takanawa's left side and Max and Andrew faced the table on Seto's right. Katana was walking slowly around Shin and Takanawa to his chair, cleaning his blade with his own hankerchief.

Shin slid the sheath down the table to him and he sheathed the sword before sitting back down as before, arms folded and katana leaning against his chest.

Hans continued to sob. Seto kept his gaze determinedly on Takanawa, doing his best not to appear affected, though they already knew he had been. Takanawa smiled.

"Let that be warning to you," he said. "They say a picture is worth a thousand words and since my thousand warnings haven't worked...maybe this picture will."

Suddenly Max grabbed Seto, one hand clutching his chin, the other the back of his head. His face was turned roughly to the right and his vision was filled with the image of Hans.

The poor man hung a couple feet off the bloody floor, swinging slightly from side to side. His left arm was now free of the board, which lay on the floor, both arms hanging at his sides. His legs were free as well, dangling. Almost every inch of Hans from his face to his feet was soaked with his own blood. The floor was littered with his fingers, tongue, and ears. His blood-smeared face featured gaping holes where his eyes had been. He was lifeless, except for the continued moans of pain, the hitching caused by his crying, and the wet, raspy sound of his breathing.

Seto flinched, and looked at the floor, but it was too late, the image was in his head. He was hard to sicken, but this had once been a whole man and was now a tortured, butchered, still-living wretch. If Seto wasn't affected, he would have been Takanawa.

Max let go of him, the entire company at the table laughing, except Katana. Seto wasn't sure if he even possessed a voice. And the still-unnamed man laughed with the group, but with difficulty.

"I hope you've learned your lesson, kiddo," Takanawa said. "Now you know what awaits your brother and sister-in-law if you don't stop your feeble attempts to get the best of me. Understand?"

Seto nodded. He was cowed, he had to admit it. This was...

"Daisuke and Katana will take you home now," Takanawa said, as if this had just been a pleasant evening.

Seto slowly got to his feet. At least he now had a first name for the ugly man--Daisuke. The two named men got to their feet. Katana had probably been chosen just to intimidate Seto into behaving on the way home, given what he'd just done with surgical procession to the damned man hanging from the hook. Daisuke would probably be driving, leaving Katana in the backseat with him. Though the sword would not be maneuverable in the cramped confines of a car, Seto didn't doubt Katana had other skills, if not other weapons.

Still filthy with his former colleague's blood, Katana waited until Seto had turned away before following at his back, while Daisuke walked ahead of him.

Head spinning and stomach still touch-and-go, Seto didn't resist in the slightest getting into the backseat of his car. Katana got in beside him, sitting in the same manner he had inside the warehouse, with his beloved katana propped against his chest beneath his folded arms, point on the floor. Daisuke got into the driver's seat and they were off. Seto didn't look at Katana, thinking privately that this car had been used by him for the last time.

Seto was not easy to disgust. He was not easy to scare.

Takanawa had managed both.

tbc…


	63. Chapter 63

Chapter Sixty-Three:

"Aibou!"

"Yugi!"

Yami and Joey both dashed over to the prone form. Dropping to their knees on either side of him, Joey put his hand on Yugi's back, rubbing it lightly to try and rouse him while Yami leaned forward to peer into Yugi's face. He was unconscious, eyes closed and face unresponsive. What had happened to him?

"He's alive," Joey rasped, voice weak with relief. With his hand on his back, he would be able to feel Yugi breathing.

Yami had known this as he could still feel him through their link. But why was he unconscious? Yami saw nothing which would be an obvious reason for it. He saw no blood, no knives, no pills. No evidence that Yugi had hurt himself in any other way.

And then he realized that was what he had been expecting.

"Is it the chips?" Joey asked, looking across Yugi at Yami. "Did they break?"

Yami reached immediately for the button pendant around Yugi's neck, which was resting on the floor almost underneath his shoulder. He quickly pushed the black button to shut off the chips, then the red one to summon the paramedics. Dr. Cole had known Yugi would be returning to Japan and he'd promised the button would work to summon Domino paramedics as well, though Yami wondered if they should use 911 as well.

"We shouldn't move him, I guess," Joey said, his hand still resting lightly on Yugi's back. "The fall might have done something screwy to his back."

Yami agreed and remained kneeling on his other side, wishing Yugi would open his eyes and look at him. //Aibou? Can you hear me?//

There was no answer, as Yami had known there wouldn't be. Yugi was completely unconscious, yet his breathing was steady. He didn't seem to be having any trouble with it and when Yami finally made himself press his fingers into his wrist, his pulse felt strong. It had to be solely the chips. Still, Yami didn't know how the chips malfunctioning could make Yugi pass out. They weren't supposed to have any effect on his brain, working or not. It had to be something else, but what?

The paramedics finally arrived. The door was still open and they came right in. Yami and Joey reluctantly moved back to allow them the room, the three men kneeling down and getting right to work.

"What happened?" one asked.

"We don't know. We just came home, and he was like this," Joey explained.

"Be careful," Yami said. "Yugi just had surgery." He explained quickly.

The paramedics nodded. One professed Yugi's vitals to be very stable and they took the chance to turn him over onto his back, onto a stretcher, carefully buckling him in and putting his head in a brace. Lifting Yugi up, they carried him outside and into the ambulance. There was no room for Joey and Yami both, so they hurried to their car and got in, following the ambulance as it raced down the streets to the Domino County Hospital, the closest one to the apartment complex.

"Do you think he'll be all right?" Joey worried.

"Yes," Yami said, because it was expected. In truth, he just didn't know.

At the hospital, Yugi was taken in for immediate evaluation. Yami and Joey could do nothing but sit and fill out forms and wait. It was terrible deja vu all over again. Yami sat stiffly in his seat, occasionally attempting to establish mental contact, while Joey climbed the walls. Their sole comfort was Yami's reports that Yugi's mental presence remained strong, if unresponsive. Whatever had happened to him, he didn't seem to be in trouble. It was a small, but welcome consolation.

Over an hour passed before they were finally approached by a doctor. This was a woman, wearing a white coat and with trendy glasses on her face, holding a clipboard in her hands. She greeted them with her name--Dr. Youngston--and started out with good news.

"Yugi's in good and stable condition," she said. "His unconsciousness was no doubt alarming, but its cause doesn't seem to be anything like an injury. We've done an X-ray and I see no further damage done to either his skull or his back. We've done an MRI, and see no immediate problems with his head. We've drawn some blood and will be running some tests, which may take some time."

"We're not going anywhere," Joey said.

"Okay. First, answer some questions for me, please. Does Yugi have any allergies?"

"No."

"Okay. Has Yugi complained of light-headedness, nausea, or any other symptoms?"

"No." Yami hesitated. "Though he might not have told us if he was."

Dr. Younston glanced at him from underneath her lashes before returning her gaze to her clipboard. "Uh-huh. Any change in diet or medication?"

"Yes," Joey said, pouncing on the possible answer. "He was given some tougher pain medication for his back. Um, Vicodin."

The doctor looked up again. "I must ask this. Any possibility of an addiction or...an attempt at a suicide?"

Joey winced, but the fact that he looked at the floor was answer enough, though Yami reluctantly nodded. "M-Maybe. Aibou has... He lost his family in the earthquake. A year ago today, his mother died in the hospital."

"Oh. I'm sorry. The blood tox screen will tell us for certain, but I'm tentatively ruling out an overdose. He isn't presenting any signs of it."

A nurse suddenly came down the hall. "Dr. Johnston? Yugi Moto is awake."

"Can we see him?" Joey asked immediately.

"No. Please, give us a chance to talk to him. I'll have a nurse come to get you as soon as possible, I promise."

Dr. Johnston was walking away even as she was talking, and they had no choice but to wait. They sat down side-by-side in the molded plastic chairs.

"Oh, gods," Joey muttered, putting his head in his hands. "Suicide? I guess I just didn't want to see it."

"We don't know that for certain," Yami said. "But...I suppose we must consider it."

"At least Yug's awake. That's good, right?"

Yami nodded his head, though he knew the good news did not alleviate the problem. They had danced around this dark issue and may very well have just escaped a terrible outcome. Even if Dr. Johnston did not think that Yugi had tried to kill himself with his prescription, the fact that it had come to mind was very serious. Whatever the cause for Yugi's fainting was, once this was over, they would have to insist Yugi go to see Dr. Miller.

Because even if it was no overdose, it couldn't be a coincidence it had happened on this day.

"This is our fault," Joey moaned. He coughed a little and sat up, sighing and leaning back against his seat. "We should have seen this coming. Yug' could have died."

Yami reached over and patted his back gently. "Joey, I know what you're saying. But...there is nothing we could have done."

Joey sighed. "I guess you're right. We're getting Yugi help, aren't we?"

"As soon as he's released. I suppose we should have done this from the beginning."

"He really seemed okay."

That should have sent up more red flags than it had. It had been a terrible tradegy, followed by another, then the long and hard road of recovery and rehabilitation. Yugi's determination to be okay had seemed to be working, but someone couldn't just bounce back from something like this right away. And no matter how Yugi tried to deflect their worries, they would have to remain firm and demand Yugi receive psychological aid like he had physical. What little he'd received at the Shintaka Center had clearly not been enough, not now that he was out in the real world.

The two of them had to sit there for another hour. When Joey coughed again, Yami looked over at him. Joey was not looking at him, which seemed to be deliberate.

"Joey...how long have you had that cough again?"

Joey sighed, glancing at him out of the corner of his eye. "Just a couple of days. Look, I already set up another doctor's appointment. Although..." He glanced at his watch. "Although it's in an hour on the other side of the city, which I guess I'm not going to make, 'cause I'm not leaving here."

Yami frowned in concern. "Does pneumonia usually reoccur?"

"I don't know, maybe. It cleared up quick, maybe it was just in recession."

"Remission."

"Whatever. Here, look, I'll go and reschedule it real quick." He got to his feet. "But if the doc comes back, tell her I'll be right back. I don't want to miss anything."

He went briskly down the hall to the bay of pay phones at the end. Yami watched him, noting that his movements were quick and unhindered. His voice was strong and he didn't seem to have any problem breathing, but why would his pneumonia return?

"Yami."

Yami glanced up, then got to his feet in surprise. He smiled, confused. "Hello, Dr. Ashford."

It was definitely the young doctor, wearing only jeans, a black T-shirt, and a sports jacket. He smiled, though the quality of his smile was a little strained.

"I'm glad I got here."

"Mr. Moto?"

It was Dr. Johnston, coming down the hall. She paused and looked at Dr. Ashford. The man introduced himself.

"Oh, of course," Dr. Johnston said. "I just spoke to you on the phone a couple of hours ago. I'm surprised you came so soon."

"Hey!" It was Joey, coming running back down the hall. "I'm here!"

He stopped, coughed a couple of times, but then smiled at the two doctors.

"Hi, Dr... um..."

"Ashford," the doctor said.

"Right! Sorry, sorry, I'm a little--"

"Understandable."

"So, about Yug'," Joey said to the female doctor.

"Right. Yugi's tox screen came back. The level of Vicodin was completely normal. He didn't take any more than he should."

"That's good," Joey said.

"Yes, but--" Dr. Johnston hesitated a second, looking at Dr. Ashford, who nodded, his expression grim. "I'm afraid that Yugi's tox screen did come back positive...for heroin."

"What?!" Yami and Joey exclaimed at the same time.

"The blood I took from Yugi on the fifteenth did as well," Dr. Ashford said. "However, since we weren't looking for that in the first place, it didn't come up immediately. I just got the results back this morning, but when I called your number, I only got the machine."

"Heroin?" Joey repeated faintly. "What room is he in?"

"119-A, but--Hey!"

Joey had turned and walked down the hall. Yami hurried to catch up, both doctors on their heels. Joey rounded the corner and into the room.

"Yug', what the hell?!" he demanded.

Yami went through the door right after him, wishing he could have stopped Joey ahead of time. Yugi was lying propped-up in bed, the covers drawn up to his waist, hands resting together on top. An IV line ran from the bag on the rack next to the bed down to the top of Yugi's right wrist, a heart machine beeping lightly next to him. He turned his face from the window to them as they came into the room. From the look on his face, he knew exactly what Joey was talking about.

"Aibou, I don't understand," Yami said, coming over to the side of the bed. "Why did you do this?"

Yugi looked down, fidgeting with the thin quilt. "I...was drunk."

"Who got you started on it?"

Yugi looked up at them without raising his head, then looked away again. "Um, Brian and Lily."

"Your co-workers?!" Joey shouted. "Yugi, you're smarter than that!"

"Joey--"

"No, I'm not going to shut up, Yami. Damn, Yugi, do you have any idea how much you scared us? We thought you were dead!"

"How did it happen?" Yami asked.

Yugi stopped twisting the quilt, but continued to look at it rather than meeting either of their gazes. His face was beginning to flush, but he looked as much defensive as apologetic.

"I went to that support group and it was...it was just horrible, hearing everyone talking about the people they lost, and it just brought it all back. So Lily and Brian offered to take me out to a bar for some drinks. I guess I went overboard. And while we were out, talking, they told me how they like to...party. They asked me if I wanted to try it and I was drunk, so I said yes. It felt...really good."

"Yugi, I don't think I have to tell you how dangerous that is," Dr. Ashford said, standing at the foot of the bed with Dr. Johnston at his side. "Aside from the drug usage, you're using a communal needle, right?"

Yugi frowned and looked out the window until Joey stepped directly into his line of vision. Joey looked pissed off, his arms folded over his chest, glowering at Yugi.

"Damn it, Yug', I know this is hard. I'm not pretending to know how you feel, but maybe you should think about how *we* feel. At least you could think about Yami before you go and do something like that."

"Yugi, I think it's time we considered talking about having you visit Dr. Miller," Dr. Ashford said carefully.

"I'm not crazy."

"Dr. Miller is not a psychiatrist. She's a grief counselor. And if you think she won't have any idea where you're coming from, she tells everyone her life story on the first day. Dr. Miller is a thirty-two-year-old widow. After suffering three miscarriages in her marriage, her husband was shot to death by a convenience store robber stealing his taxi cab to make a getaway. A year later, her mother died of pancreatic cancer. She attempted and failed twice at suicide. That's when she decided to become a grief counselor."

Yugi was looking at Dr. Ashford intensely and Yami could see that the words had had an affect on him. At the same time, he was moved by Dr. Miller's story. What a horrible series of events.

"Yami has her number," he continued. "I suggest you give her a call."

Yugi looked back down at the bedspread, but it was obvious he was thinking. Joey continued to glare at him, unrelenting. Yami, too, felt angry with his hikari, even though he could understand why had he had done it. They were so close, was the fact that Yugi had an addiction all that surprising? Substance abuse, whether alcohol or drugs, was substance abuse, and Yami had chosen to drink to dodge stress.

"In either case," Dr. Johnston said. "We're going to keep you here overnight for observation."

"What about my chips?" Yugi asked.

"I'm sure they're fine," Dr. Ashford said. "We could probably turn them back on without a problem, although I'm not an expert on that. But I agree with Dr. Johnston. You should stay here the night, just in case."

"Did he take that much?" Yami asked.

"No," Dr. Johnston said, flipping the chart closed and sliding it into the holder at the foot of the bed. "Actually, the irony is, he only passed out due to a drop in his iron levels." She looked at Yugi and made a face, shrugging her shoulders. "You should've eaten more red meat, Yugi, or you never would have had to come here."

Which of course meant Yugi would never have passed out and neither Yami nor Joey would have known about the heroin in his system. Dr. Ashford would have been bound by doctor-patient confidentiality and Dr. Johnston had only told them because she thought Yugi might try to hurt himself, making the confidentiality void.

Dr. Johnston turned and left the room. Dr. Ashford looked at Yugi a second longer before patting Yami on the shoulder.

"If any of you need anything, don't hesitate to call."

"Thank you, Dr. Ashford."

The man left the room. Yugi was now looking at Joey, who was still standing there with his arms folded over his chest. After a long moment, Joey sighed and unfolded his arms, sitting down at the head of the bed next to Yugi, back against the headboard.

"Yug', answer me something honestly. Have you ever considered...ending it?"

"No," Yugi said in a croaky voice. "You guys've gone to so much trouble for me. And, I don't know--" Yugi's eyes suddenly filled with tears and he closed them. "It just hurts so much."

Yami sat down on the other edge of the bed, reaching out to take Yugi's hand, mindful of the IV line sticking out of the back of his wrist. "Maybe we haven't been paying as much attention as we should have."

Yugi's eyes snapped open, filled with tears. "Don't say that! You guys have done more for me than I deserve. I just--I just--I don't know."

Still holding Yugi's hand, Yami put his other arm around Yugi's shoulders. "Aibou, will you go and see Dr. Miller? Joey and I think you should."

"I...Yeah, I will. I promise."

Yami looked over at Joey, who was looking out the window himself now. He looked very upset and Yami wondered if the progress he and Yugi had made as a couple had just suffered a blow. But it was not his business to bring it up. And more than that, he wondered if they could trust Yugi to keep his promise about going to see Dr. Miller. He hated to admit it, but Yugi was crossing lines he never would have expected from him. Lying didn't seem like such a big stretch now. On the other hand, this might be the wake-up call he finally needed.

"I'm sorry, Joey," Yugi murmured, seeming to realize that Joey was not looking at him.

"I know, Yug'. But that doesn't make it better. You want to make it better? Keep your promise. Yami and I can only do so much for you. In the end, it's really up to you. But you know what? This is a hell of a way to pay us back."

He got up and stalked out of the room without looking at Yugi again. Yugi watched him go, then lowered his head, eyes closing. Yami continued to sit next to him, his arm still around his shoulders, but he had to admit, he couldn't just soothe Yugi this time.

//He's right, Aibou. I'm not going to berate you, but you've really hurt his feelings. He's spent the last year thinking about you first.//

/I know,/ Yugi said miserably. /I tried to put it behind me, and I just can't./

//No one expects to be able to. You're trying too hard to get back to normal as fast as possible, and that's not natural, Aibou. You need to grieve. You need to talk about it. And if you can't talk about it with Joey and I, talk about it with someone else.//

/I tried that, at the group, and it didn't work./

//Maybe it would be better if you talked to someone one-on-one. Talk to Dr. Miller, Aibou, please.//

/I will. I promised./ Yugi sighed and leaned his head against Yami's shoulder. /I really messed up, didn't I?/

//Yes,// Yami said truthfully, deciding that maybe coddling wasn't going to work anymore. //But it's not over. You've got another chance. Joey is mad...but he'll always be there for you. But he's right, Yugi. What happens at the end is up to you.//

Yami removed his arm, let go of Yugi's hand, and got to his feet. Yugi lifted his head, looking up at him morosely, but there was no reproach or anger in his gaze. Yami gave him a half-smile, said goodbye, and left the room. It was a little harsh, but he thought Joey had it right. They'd tried to be careful, they'd tried to be understanding. Now was the time to get mad.

Joey was standing right outside the door. He hadn't just left. When Yami came out into the hall, he lifted his head, then fell into step with him as they went to the exit.

"Think he'll turn it around this time?" Joey asked.

"I hope so."

"Heroin. I can't believe it."

"This isn't going to be fine the next day. No matter what he promises, he's got problems and we need to continue to support him."

"Yeah, but I'm getting kind of tired dancing around the issue. I thought yelling at him would make it worse, but he's making it worse himself with no help from us."

"I agree. Let us give him a week in which to contact Dr. Miller on his own, and if he doesn't, we'll do it for him. Yugi told us he never considered suicide, and I believe him, if only because I think he's afraid that doing so would be an insult to the memory of his family. But that doesn't mean he won't continue to do stupid things."

Joey sighed, closed his eyes though he was still walking, and rubbed his forehead. "I'm just...I don't know."

Joey opened his eyes and shoved open the door, walking out into the setting sunlight. Yami followed along with him, getting into the passenger side of the car. Joey started the engine and took off. The ride was mostly silent, but Joey coughed a couple of times and Yami looked at him each time with concern. Joey noticed and waved his hand.

"Don't look at me like that, I changed my appointment. It's on Thursday. It's just pneumonia, Shadow."

"You haven't called me that in a long time."

"You're not really Shadow Flare anymore, are you?" Joey smiled at him. "Look, I know what else you're thinking. No, I don't think any less of Yug'. Hell, I'm pissed at him, that's true. But you don't duck out on your friends just 'cause they did something stupid. If that happened, I would be a lonely guy. But I am pushing Yug' now. No more tip-toeing. He's got to have a hit in the face."

"I agree. If he does not make an appointment for Dr. Miller by Saturday, we will."

"But one thing, he isn't going out with Brian and Lily ever again."

Yami smiled.

******

The next day, they brought Yugi home. Dr. Ashford had returned to the county hospital to supervise the turning-on of the chips. It came off without a hitch and Yugi tested his legs with no problems. He was released from the hospital by Dr. Johnston, but before Dr. Ashford left, he exacted the promise from Yugi again to talk with Dr. Miller.

Back at the apartment, Yugi seemed subdued, but in a way that seemed less depressed than apologetic, though Yami knew he was. Yugi mostly sat curled up in the armchair, staring out of the window or at the floor. As both Joey and Yami knew he was thinking things through, they didn't interrupt him. Still, neither were happy when the whole day passed without Yugi calling the number on the extremely-wrinkled scrap of paper Yami had found in his jacket. But they had promised to give Yugi a little time.

That night, Yami woke up to the noises of soft, painful-sounding groaning. He got out of bed, opening his bedroom door and poking his head out into the hall, trying to orient on the sound. Across from his doorway was Joey's room, but even as he glanced that way, the door opened and Joey poked his head out.

"What's going on?" he whispered.

Yami slid out of his room and went down the hall to Yugi's bedroom. The door was slightly ajar and he pushed it open further, Joey at his back and looking over his shoulder. The window's curtains were parted and the window open half-way letting in the cool spring air.

Yugi was lying on his side with his back to the door, looking to be curled up in a ball beneath nothing but the sheet. He was shifting a little, moving his legs restlessly beneath the cover. He was making the noises, twisting.

"Withdrawal," Joey muttered in Yami's ear.

He leaned further over Yami's shoulder and took hold of the doorknob, pulling the door shut back to its slightly ajar position. Yami looked up at Joey over his shoulder, turning around.

"What is that?"

"Withdrawal means his body's craving the drugs." Joey sighed and turned to walk into the kitchen.

Yami followed him, blinking when he flipped on the light. Joey walked over to fridge and pulled out a can of soda, popping the top and taking a long pull on it. He coughed a little, which Yami wished he could convince himself was just an affect of the carbonation. Joey rested against the counter in front of the sink and Yami went to stand next to him.

"Is there anything we can do for him?" Yami asked.

"Not unless we give him a hit of heroin. He's just going to have to suffer through it. But if he does, he can beat the addiction. He hasn't done it much, I hope."

"I don't think he has, no. How could we not notice?"

Joey shrugged, taking another drink of his soda. He was looking off into space with a very gloomy expression. "Maybe we just didn't want to see it. Although, since he went out at night, didn't come home until late, and went to bed right away, I guess there wasn't really much chance for us to notice anything. It's not like he was shooting up in the living room during lunch."

"I am very angry with this Brian and Lily. He would never have done drugs if they had not taken advantage of his depression."

"They made it possible, but you've got to admit, we can't let Yug' slide with no responsibility. Are you thinking about going and messing with their heads?" He looked over at him and grinned.

"No, I suppose not. It is tempting, but would probably be a waste of time." He paused, looking towards the hallway, from which the half-stifled noises of Yugi were still audible. "I think Dr. Ashford was quite disappointed."

"That makes three of us." Joey finished his soda and sighed. "Enough blame-game. Though I think we should make Yug' get a new job. Brian and Lily are going to be too much temptation. They got him started on it, they'll be happy to have him continue it. I'd like to go down there and give them a piece of my mind."

"That may make the situation worse," Yami said. "Let's just forget those two."

Joey crumpled up the can and threw it away. He turned towards the exit of the kitchen, patting Yami on his shoulder. "I'm going back to bed, I'm beat. Oh, hey."

Yami followed his gaze. The answering machine resting on the kitchen counter was blinking with two messages. Dialing down the noise, Joey pushed the play button.

"Probably just Dr. Ashford."

The first message was from him, but the second, coming in while they were out getting Yugi from the hospital, was the doctor who had treated Joey's pneumonia, asking him to come in tomorrow to talk to him. Joey blinked, then shrugged.

"Guess my appointment got bumped up. Okay, 'night, Yami."

Yami flipped off the light and the two of them went back to their rooms, though Yami paused briefly outside Yugi's room. It was quiet within and he hoped Yugi's discomfort had lessened.

He was ashamed to admit that some small part of him though Yugi was deserving of it.

******

The next day was the twentieth. Yami was supposed to meet Kaiba at midnight to go to Takanawa's and finally kill him. He didn't want to leave Yugi at this time, but he knew Joey would be here for him.

At breakfast, Yami tentatively brought up the idea of Yugi quitting the Sip, Read, and View. At first Yugi seemed upset, but he calmed down and looked at it from their perspective.

"I...guess you're right. I'm really sorry, guys."

"We know, Yug'."

Yugi flinched at Joey's rather harsh words. He looked down at his bowl of cereal and went quiet for a long moment.

"Yeah, I'll just call them and tell them I quit," he said.

"Good." Joey thunked down a plate of bacon he'd just fried.

Yami looked at the two of them over his own bowl. Yugi was moving his cereal pieces in his milk while Joey buttered a piece of toast. He glanced over at Yugi himself while he was doing it.

"Look, Yug', want me to take you out to get some more applications?"

Yugi looked up and a faint smile crossed his face, but he shook his head. "I don't think I feel too good right now. Maybe tomorrow, okay?"

Joey nodded, taking a big bite of his toast. Yugi only pushed his cereal around, perhaps nauseous. Yami did not know the effects of drug withdrawal, but if it was anything similar to a hangover, he could understand the upset stomach. The silence dragged for a little bit, but Yami knew they had to talk, and seriously.

"Aibou, how often did you take the drugs?"

Yugi looked up briefly before dropping his eyes again. "I don't know. A couple of times, I guess. Not many, though. Mostly, I just went out to drink."

"I can't really picture you drunk," Joey said.

"I don't think it was a pretty picture, but I didn't get in trouble." At the looks on their faces, he hastily amended his sentence. "I mean, other than that. Lily and Brian were with me the whole time and they brought me home each time."

"Drunk and high?" Joey growled.

"Uh, yeah, I guess so. I know, it was really stupid. I just--" Yugi let his chopsticks clatter into his bowl. "I just didn't think about it. I didn't want you guys to know how depressed I was. You've been doing so much for me, I just wanted you to think I was okay, even though I really wasn't. I couldn't handle that support group, but I guess getting drunk and high wasn't something I should have done. I wish I could take it back. But--"

"Aibou, we understand. You have lost your family. But--"

"I'm really feeling sick," Yugi said abruptly. "I'm going to go lay down, okay?"

"Yugi, why don't you want to talk to us?" Joey asked.

"I--I just can't, okay?" Yugi got to his feet. "I can't, not with you guys. I'm going to call Dr. Miller."

Yugi grabbed the phone handset and the scrap of paper resting on the counter next to it and left the kitchen. The two of them looked after him before Joey exhaled noisily and set his chopsticks down on his plate.

"Why won't he talk to us?"

"I don't know," Yami admitted.

"Can't you peek in his mind and find out?"

"No. Aibou has gotten too strong for me to do that, even if I was so inclined. I think...perhaps Yugi is ashamed."

"Of what?!"

"I don't know. Being weak, as he sees it. Or admitting he isn't as okay as he thinks he is, that forcing himself to get better physically isn't enough to get better."

"I guess. They say it's easier to talk about that sort of stuff with a stranger than someone you love. But I wish he would."

They finished their breakfast and cleaned up the apartment. Yugi stayed in his room, utterly silent. Neither of them bothered him, except for Yami going in to get his dirty clothes. Yugi was lying in bed, looking out the open window, but he turned to look at him when he came in.

"Yami, are you guys mad at me?"

Yami paused, holding the laundry basket against his hip. "Yes. But not as much as I think you think."

Yugi nodded and turned back towards the window. /Don't do my laundry, I'll get it./

//I might as well do it all together.//

/Leave something for me to do, okay? I don't want you guys being nice to me. I messed up, and I'm not going to lie in bed all day. At least, not after my headache goes away./

//Very well, Aibou. I'll leave the dishes in the sink. Did you call Dr. Miller?//

/Yeah./ Yugi held the phone out and Yami took it. /First appointment's Saturday at 2. And I called Lily./

//Good.// Yami hesitated, then set the phone down into the basket and reached out, stroking Yugi's hair. //Feel better, Yugi.//

He left the room and returned the phone to the kitchen before taking the laundry into the laundry nook. He loaded some and set the basket on top of the washer. Joey was vacuuming the carpet and when he was finished, he was happy to hear that Yugi had kept his promise and made his appointment. That was a step in the right direction.

"Maybe we ought to get some advice on drug rehab," he said.

"Perhaps," Yami agreed. "I'll call Dr. Ashford for his advice."

Joey ran a trip to the grocery store after that while Yami dropped off some bills. They both made it back the apartment at nearly the same time and Yugi came out of his room, determined to make lunch for them, ignoring their protests.

Just as they were about to sit down to the grilled chicken sandwiches Yugi had made, the doorbell rang. Joey grumbled and got up to answer it. To Yami and Yugi's surprise, his angry voice reached them from the front door.

"What the hell are you doing here?!"

Shooting a concerned look at each other, Yugi and Yami got up and went to see what the matter was. Standing on the stoop were Brian and Lily. Joey was standing in the doorway, bristling at the two of them, his hand on the door like he was about to slam it in their faces. Feeling a surge of anger himself, Yami folded his arms.

"Guys?" Yugi asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Yugi, you're not really going to quit, are you?" Brian asked.

"Yeah, he is," Joey snapped. "Haven't you done enough?"

"Joey, please." Yugi walked up to stand beside him. "I am, sorry."

"Yugi can make his own decisions," Joey said. "And you've got no right to come here."

"We're his friends," Lily said.

"No, you're not. Friends don't give drunk friends drugs and then drive them home while intoxicated. Get off our stoop and get lost."

Brian's eyes narrowed. "Yugi?"

"You guys should go," Yugi said. He reached out and lightly pushed at Joey, urging him to go on back into the apartment. Joey did so reluctantly, coming to stand beside Yami, folding his own arms and glaring angrily at the pair in the doorway. Yugi continued, "Listen, I made a mistake. I shouldn't have gotten on drugs, even drunk. Actually, I shouldn't have gotten drunk. Please, I quit and I don't think we should hang out anymore."

"Fine," Brian said. He turned and went down the front walk.

Lily paused, looking in at Joey and Yami over Yugi's shoulder before turning her attention back to Yugi. "Okay, I guess. We were just trying to help."

"I know. And you guys should get off the drugs."

Lily sneered, suddenly turning from Miss-Nice-Girl to a snotty bitch. "Thought you were cool. Guess not. Call the cops and we'll tell 'em you were in on it."

She glared at Yami and Joey before turning dramatically and going to get in the car with Brian. They screeched off and Yugi slowly shut the door.

"Wow."

"You okay?" Joey asked.

"Yeah. Actually, that kind of made it easier." He smiled a little.

"Let's go get us some of that chicken," Joey suggested. "Smells really good. Put those guys behind ya, Yug'. They weren't your friends."

"I know."

They returned to the kitchen and got into the chicken sandwiches Yugi had made, which were delicious. Yugi ate sparingly, but at least he ate. While helping him clean up, Yami glanced at the clock. "Joey, aren't you supposed to have a talk with your doctor?"

"What?" Yugi asked.

"Oh, just a follow-up," Joey said dismissively. "And, damn it, I completely forgot. All right, later, guys."

He headed out and Yami finished putting away the leftovers while Yugi got on the piled-up dishes. Yami had to get to his afternoon shift at Fine Art World before he could meet with Kaiba later in the night. He said goodbye to his hikari, who could sense his concern about leaving him alone.

/Yami, I'll be fine./ Yugi looked at him. /I'm not...all right...yet. But I'd never hurt myself and no drugs. I promise. In fact, my head still hurts. I think I'm going to take a nap before I make dinner./

Yami decided to trust him. He hugged him and left the apartment, making it to his shift just on time. Annie was her usual scatter-brained, but cheerful self. At least she seemed to have given up on getting Yami to either take up an art form or become her muse. George had gotten over his food poisoning and the older, flamboyant man said hello to Yami on his way out.

"Just a few more weeks until the art show," Annie said in a sing-song manner when Yami finished counting his drawer. "Can I still count on you? There's some heavy-lifting and poor George is getting a little too old for that."

"Yes, you can."

"Excellent. Oh, I've got to run some errands, honey. Can you manage on your own?"

Wednesday was not a busy day for the shop, especially not in the mid-afternoon, and Yami scanned the empty room. "I can manage."

The shift went fairly quickly and Yami walked home after it ended at ten, agreeing to stay behind to count inventory for Annie and extending his shift by two hours. It would take an hour to walk home and then he'd have to immediately grab a cab to meet Kaiba, but he decided to go ahead and check in at home so that he didn't worry them before pretending to go to bed and using the Ring to sneak out. He hoped Yugi and Joey had gone ahead and had their dinner; it would be dumb if they hadn't.

Walking into the apartment, he frowned. Sounds were coming from the kitchen, and it sounded like weeping. Instantly concerned, Yami hurried across the room and into the doorway of the kitchen. To his surprise, it was Joey who was crying, sitting down on the floor against the cabinets beneath the sink, legs drawn up to his waist and his arms around them, face buried in his knees. A piece of paper lay on the floor next to him.

Yami dropped his keys, quickly crossing the floor and kneeling down beside him, which made Joey look up. His face was tear-streaked, his brown eyes wet and red. He sniffled when he saw Yami.

"What is it?" Yami asked, fearfully. "Is it Yugi?"

How could it be, though? Yami could sense the soft buzz of Yugi's mind. He was in his room and obviously asleep. Yami saw the piece of paper on the floor from upside-down and saw that it had the logo of the hospital on it. He reached for it, but Joey grabbed it up, tore it in half, then crumpled the halves. He rolled the ball in his hands to make it as small as possible before throwing it across the kitchen so that it bounced off the far wall.

"It's not Yug', he's in his room."

"What is it, then?" Yami asked, concerned.

Joey sniffled again, more tears running down his cheeks. He suddenly leaned over, startling Yami by grabbing him in a hug, pulling him against him so hard that Yami's ribs screamed. Gasping a little, Yami put his own arms around him, more and more worried now that Joey was sobbing again, in a muffled sort of way like he was doing his best not to wake Yugi.

"What?!" Yami demanded.

"The doc had some news," Joey gasped, speaking with difficulty and hiccupping. "Bad news. My doc."

"What is it?" Yami repeated, trying to reign in his impatience since Joey was so upset. Had his pneumonia come back even worse?

Joey took a deep, shuddering breath and pulled back, letting Yami go, which was easier for him to breathe. He wiped his eyes, face red and puffy, hiccups wracking his chest.

"Shadow...I've tested positive for HIV."

tbc…

A/N: I'm sure no one is surprised. No one was on AFF. –shrug-


	64. Chapter 64

Chapter Sixty-Four:

Seto glanced out the window as the car pulled into the same lot he'd been blitzed at. Katana was still sitting bolt-upright next to him. Daisuke pulled crosswise on the spaces and put the car in park and turned off the engine. Now that the car was facing towards the Kaiba Corp. building, Seto could see the car the pale-eyed men had come in; it was parked right up against the building, hidden from the street.

"Check around for witnesses," Daisuke suddenly said, looking over the shoulder of the driver's seat at Katana. "While I tell Kaiba what the Boss wants him to do now."

The silent man glanced at him briefly, but when Daisuke pulled out a gun of his own and waved it at Seto for him to get out of the car, Katana climbed out and walked towards the lot's open gate, precisely following the bay of parking spaces' joining bar, his katana held in one hand against his hip so that the black hilt and sheath blended in with his all-black outfit.

Seto got out of the backseat of the car, staring down Daisuke, who was still holding the gun on him.

"You didn't say anything," he said after a moment, careful to keep his voice low so it wouldn't echo and reach Katana's ears.

"Are you nuts?" Daisuke snapped in the same manner. "Of course I didn't. You saw what happened to Ferret. See why I'm not going to try and take out Takanawa? Just talking to an agent gets you chopped to pieces by Katana. Know what happens to those that try and take over the Takanawa family?"

Daisuke glanced towards the gate. Katana was still standing there, nearly hidden in the shadows of the now-empty guard station that was manned only during the busy day hours, watching the street. He turned and started walking along the parking lot's fence, towards the wall of the building, before following along it to the car. His habit of following lines seemed almost idiosyncratic.

"The last guy that tried was Takanawa's cousin," Daisuke went on, looking at Seto significantly. "His cousin, guy who called himself Raptor. Takanawa found out Raptor was trying to rally his own boys into taking over the business--wasn't even going to kill him, was just going to take over, said he was too old to run it anymore--and he had him tied up, impaled on a stake just like that freak Dracula used to do, and left him in reach of a couple'a pit bulls he'd starved for a couple'a days. Get the picture?"

Seto nodded, feeling a little nauseous again. Daisuke started walking backwards towards the car where Katana was waiting, his gun still held on Seto, though he could see the safety was on; he was just keeping up appearances.

"So make sure you stick around," he called. "Boss wants to make sure his new bitch is easy to reach. You try and use that Jet of yours to run, he's going to chase you all the way to Hell. And if he finds you, you'll be begging to go out the way Ferret did."

He turned around only when he'd nearly bumped into the car and got in while Katana got silently into the front passenger seat. When the car turned towards him, Seto could see he was sitting in the same robot-like position as before.

Daisuke revved the engine and shot forward. Seto had to jerk out of the way to avoid the front bumper of the car as it came at him, hitting his own car hard with his back. He knew Daisuke was just showing off for Katana--he could see him laughing while Katana sat stony-faced--to keep them both from getting torn into little pieces and fed to those pitbulls.

The car squealed out onto the street, turned right, and disappeared. Seto moved away from his car, his back hurting, straightening his trenchcoat. He glanced into the car, then reluctantly got in. It would raise more questions than he needed right now, so he just drove it home.

******

Seto didn't get any sleep that night. Instead, he just paced through his house, wandering through the floors while he tried to find out how he could possibly get out of this now. Takanawa was more formidable than he'd thought. He was not a washed-up old man, he was a sharp, cruel, self-assured mobster. Gozaburo had had only one strength and that was his business. As soon as Seto had taken that away, he was left with nothing. Takanawa, on the other hand, would not be beatable unless he was killed.

And that itself would be very hard to pull off, with those goons around him. Daisuke was only on his side in the fact that he had given Seto his boss's address. He would go no further and there were still four more people besides Takanawa to worry about.

Why the hell had Yami let him down? What on earth could be so important he hadn't shown? Takanawa would have said something if he thought Seto had help, so that wasn't it.

Exhaustion finally caught up to him around six in the morning and he finally got some sleep in his bedroom. It was only a few hours and when he woke, it was nine-thirty. Not enough sleep, but all he was going to get. His mind was too full of revolving issues to allow him to sleep longer.

He got up, showered and changed, then sat down restlessly at his home office desk, steepling his fingers and trying to think. Things had changed. He was no longer nearly as confident as he had once been. Now that he knew what was awaiting Mokuba and Marianne if he messed up, the wind had been taken out of his sails. As Takanawa had said, a picture was worth a thousand words. And this picture was a lot worse than the idea of a bullet in the head.

His phone ringing made him jump and he cursed himself softly. Now he was getting nervous like a cat surrounded by dogs. Taknawa was ruining him.

Seto picked up his phone. "Hello?"

He should tell Yami how good he was getting at predicting the future, he'd be proud. It was Takanawa just like he was expecting. He closed his eyes at the sound of his voice.

"Good morning, kiddo! Sleep well? No, I don't think you did. I think you were up all night seeing Ferret every time you closed your eyes."

Right at those words, the picture of that butchered man did crop up behind his eyelids and he opened them again, staring at the carpet. Takanawa chuckled over the phone, his gravelly voice filled with amusement.

"He lived for twenty minutes after you left," he said. "Twenty minutes hanging there, twitching."

"Do you have something of interest to say?"

Takanawa laughed again, even more amused that before. "I think that about you, I really do. You're scared shitless and you still try and act like a tough guy. It's really cute, kid. But of course I had a reason to call. I always do. I don't waste time, not even on taunting people. I've got a new job for you. Know the First Bank on 88th?"

Seto put his face in his free hand. "You want me to rob a bank?"

"I sure do. I really like your ability to do anything. The museum, the gallery--"

"Galleria."

"Don't interrupt me. The museum, the *galleria,* Kato's place, *my* place. Quite an impressive streak. So why should a bank be any harder for you? Listen carefully. I want three-hundred-thousand in cash, twenties and fifties only, deposit-box contents--I don't care how many--and make sure you get it without those damn ink bombs in the bag."

"Three hundred thousand is a little small time, don't you think?" Why the hell couldn't he keep his mouth shut?

"The point isn't the amount of money, it's having you running after the sticks I throw. Get it done, one week from today. No, make it tomorrow. I love Fridays. End of the work week, the weekend looming ahead, all that jazz. And this time, Katana's going to be the one picking up the goods. I know how much you like him. He'll be at your house Friday at midnight, on the dot. And if you don't manage it, you'd better hope you're good at running. Katana won't kill you, Seto. He'll just make sure you wish he had. And then we'll spend all our time looking for your brother and his girl."

Takanawa hung up. Seto listened to the dial tone for a minute before finally setting the phone down.

Now he was in trouble. Taknawa wasn't playing games with him anymore. Though failing to do what he wanted had always been threatened with being killed, Seto had figured Takanawa would give him another chance, just because he liked making him do his errands, like he'd said. This time, though, there would be no forgiveness. Messing with the robot dog, then breaking into Takanawa's house, that was the final straw of sticking up for himself.

And breaking into a bank was going to be worlds harder than the museum. Even if he enlisted Yami, there was no way the smaller was going to be able to walk through the two-foot-thick steel walls of the vault, break open the safety deposit boxes, and get out again. Even invisible to the surveillance cameras, there would be silent alarms to the doors, maybe to the vault itself, time-sensitive locking mechanisms, and who knew what else.

Seto could possibly hack into the systems, turn off the cameras and the time-sensitive locks, only if he got lucky and timed it perfectly, but that left the walls and the deposit boxes. That couldn't be overcome by any hacking. Or by Yami's tricks.

Or could they? He didn't know all of Yami's abilities, whether they were of the Puzzle or one of the other Items. But if Yami could become incorporeal as well as invisible, he wouldn't have been constantly breaking glass.

Another possibility would be having inside help. But either he would have to bribe someone to do it; and they would want more than the three-hundred-thousand dollars, making him lose even more than he was gaining; or he could force them to do it, which brought up all of its own problems. The person would know his voice, even if he covered his face, and there would always be the possibility of being overpowered by a guard who was trained for such things.

The first thing to do would be to decide on a plan. Do it alone, or with someone who worked at the bank. Hack into systems or have someone who knew the codes override them.

Seto glanced at the clock. It was a quarter of twelve now. He decided to head into work. Not only would it help him get his mind off his problems, he needed to keep up his own appearances.

The day passed slowly. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get his mind off it. Finally he shut off his computer, pulled out his cellphone, and dialed Mokuba's. Mokuba's cellphone had service as long as the weather wasn't too bad.

Before moving his brother and his wife to the cabin, Seto had had a landline installed at the cabin. It would be necessary, in case of emergencies from a pregnant woman. But he didn't dare call it himself, because Takanawa could dump his phone records and get the number, then trace it.

Mokuba answered on the fourth ring. "Hello?"

"Mokuba, it's me."

"Hi, Seto. How are things going?" His question was loaded.

"Fine." Seto lied because he had to. He was never going to tell Mokuba what had happened the night before. He didn't think Mokuba would leave the cabin to come over, but he couldn't take the chance. "Takanawa's been pretty quiet lately. It won't last, but don't leave the cabin. How are things on your end?"

"Fine, I guess. Roland's bored."

"Tell him that's too bad and if he dares to leave for anything, he's fired and I'll make sure he can never get another job in all of Japan."

Mokuba laughed. "I promise I'll pass that along. Marianne's doing great. She's been spending her time reading and knitting for the baby."

"Got a name yet?"

"I've narrowed it down to five, but I'm still thinking. I wish I could just foist this naming-thing on her, but she's really adamant about me picking the name, since it's a boy."

"I'm sure you'll do fine."

"You'd probably have had the name picked five minutes after you found out she was pregnant." Mokuba snorted over the phone, before suddenly turning serious. "Seto, are things really going okay? They can't be all better, or you'll be calling me to say we can come home."

"No, they're not fixed, but I'm fine. I'd tell you if I was hurt, I promise. But I'm not. Takanawa hasn't lain a finger on me." That, at least, was the truth, in its way.

"Isn't there any way I can help?"

"I don't know of any. You just stay put and fetch your wife all her weird food cravings."

Mokuba laughed again. "Actually, she's been pretty normal. Weirdest thing she's wanted is chicken with melted cheese on it at two in the morning."

Seto smiled into the phone. "I was just checking in, Mokuba. I'm sorry about this."

"Don't worry about it, Seto. We're fine. The weather's been great and Marianne's been enjoying walking on the beach barefoot every day. But if you need anything, don't hesitate to call me, okay? And maybe calling the cops isn't going to be as dangerous as you think it is."

"I'll think about it."

"Okay. Keep in touch, Seto."

Which meant he wanted to know Seto was still alive. Seto promised and hung up. The call had managed to lighten his mood a little with the knowledge that his family was alive and doing okay, but he still had this trouble to get out of.

Next thing on his list was finding out what had happened to Yami. He'd expected him to call to explain, but he hadn't. If something had happened to him, surely Yugi or the Mutt would have called to ask him if he knew anything.

Picking up his phone again, he dialed Yami's new number. It rang a few times before Yami himself picked it up.

"Hello?" His voice was dull.

"Yami. What the hell? Why didn't you show up last night?"

"Kaiba." Yami sighed. "Sorry. Something came up."

Seto frowned into the phone. 'Something came up?' What did that mean? Yami was alive and unhurt, so what could be so important? But when Seto asked, Yami was far from forthcoming.

"Just something, okay? I can't tell you. We'll get Takanawa some other time."

Seto felt a white-hot flush of rage. What was so fucking important that it would disrupt Yami's promise to help him take out the bastard that ruining his life but he wouldn't tell him about? Takanawa hadn't done anything to his friends or he would be crying about it. Instead, Seto had been dragged to that warehouse and intimidated for no reason.

"I guess I can't count on you, then," he said. "I'll handle it myself."

He hung up, fuming. The lives of Mokuba, Marianne, and the baby were on the line and Yami wanted to play this evasive game? Well, fuck him. Seto would have to do this on his own, which he should have tried from the beginning. It just went to show how you couldn't trust other people with important things.

But over the next two days he hadn't gotten any closer. He just couldn't make a decision about how to rob the bank and expect to get away with it. If he went inside, all dressed up like a robber, and demanded cash, they'd just stick a dye pack in it, which was precisely what Takanawa didn't want. Plus, while he was getting the goods, police and news crews would be swarming outside, making it impossible to get away. Doing it like a spy with computer hacking had plenty of its own pitfalls and forcing a guard or bank worker to do it after hours did as well. Nothing was foolproof, which he knew was Takanawa's point. This was the end, the final game. Either Seto went down for the robbery or he didn't do it and got skinned by the freak with the sword.

On Saturday, Seto went to work after staying home on Friday. For the first time in his life, working at Kaiba Corp. was no release. He couldn't concentrate and as a CEO, he really didn't have all that much to do that he couldn't put off. He just worked around the clock because work was his life.

But not now. So he'd skipped it the previous day and just drove himself crazy going over plans again and again with no solution.

Saturday, however, he couldn't play hooky. He had a series of extremely important meetings he couldn't push aside or reschedule. The quarterly budget meeting with the shareholders, minus Mokuba; a meeting to go over plans for the Duel School he'd been inquiring about for grants; and finally a meeting with the labor union about some grievance they had over part-time associates' benefits.

Seto hated the labor union. Unfortunately, because Kaiba Corp. was a multi-billion-dollar business not dealing with exempted trades, it had to be a part of it. The labor union was good, in theory, but they often caused more problems than they thought they were fixing. By pushing companies for more benefits, more vacation times, and shorter work weeks, they often forced those companies to cut things in other areas, such as less-necessary workers' jobs. And if that didn't fix the problem, certain locations might be closed if the businesses didn't go out altogether, costing even more workers their jobs. The labor union only helped a small percentage in the long run, but try to tell them that and they started decrying you for being an anti-union money-grubber, which was a big headache.

So he headed in to Kaiba Corp. at ten, had his first meeting, went to lunch, had his second meeting at two, which went overtime because anything involving government spending was as convoluted and circuitous as a Mobius Strip, and went to dinner late before his final meeting at nine-thirty.

As he was returning to his office to check his messages before heading to the meeting room, he was shocked to find Yami in there.

"Damn it, Yami, I've got a big meeting to go to and I don't have time for your--"

He cut off, surprised. Yami had been sitting on the leather couch with his head down and now he looked up. Seto was shocked to see that he was crying.

"What the hell?" he asked.

Yami wiped the tears from one of his cheeks, sniffling. "I'm sorry, Kaiba. I just needed someplace to go. I shouldn't have come here, I'll just--"

Seto sighed. "What happened?"

Yami looked down at the floor. "Everything. Aibou was on heroin, now he's gone to a meeting with a grief counselor and it's making him more depressed, Joey's been diagnosed with HIV, the world's just falling apart and I can't think straight--"

Yami was talking so rapidly his words were running together. And what he was saying...Seto could hardly get his mind around it.

"Whoa, whoa! Slow down! Yugi was what and Wheeler's what?!"

Yami looked up and fresh tears ran down his cheeks. "Monday night Joey and I came home to find Yugi passed out on the floor. We called an ambulance, thinking that maybe the chips in his body malfunctioned, but the doctor told us he'd passed out only due to having a low level of iron. But when his blood sample was tested, they found heroin in his system. He confessed to using drugs to make himself feel better. Monday was the anniversary of his mother's death and he's been taking it hard, but he wouldn't talk to us about it, and instead he was using drugs with some friends he made at work to take his mind off it. After we found out, he promised to get off the drugs, which he's been doing, and quit his job, which he did, and to go and see a grief counselor, which he did this afternoon, but he came home more depressed than ever having to talk about it. He's been in bed ever since.

"Joey's been sick for the past couple of months and he finally went to the doctor himself to get checked out. The doctor told him he had pneumonia and gave him medication for it, but it came back and the doctor ran some more tests on his blood to find out why and found out he has HIV, which he told him on Wednesday. Joey started medication to treat it, but the disease is incurable, so he's going to die and there's nothing I can do about it and I just--I just--"

Yami broke off here and put his head in his hands. His shoulders started shaking and Seto knew he was beginning to cry again. Stunned speechless, Seto walked over slowly and sat down next to him on the couch. Yugi was doing hard-core drugs and seeing a grief counselor? Joey was sick with the world's worst disease? Life really was spiraling out of control. No wonder Yami was so upset. And no wonder he hadn't shown up Wednesday night. If he'd just found out Wheeler was HIV-positive, he wouldn't be thinking about running off with Seto to go and take out Takanawa.

It also explained the way he'd acted on Thursday. He'd sounded so dull, but he was probably just feeling sucker-punched.

"How did Wheeler get HIV?" Seto asked after a minute.

He expected Yami to blow up on him. It wasn't really his business. Instead, Yami responded in a muffled voice from behind his hands. "I didn't know it at the time, but he was acting as a prostitute to pay Yugi's medical bills before I started thieving for you."

Seto blinked. A prostitute? That wasn't funny, not even for Joey. The group had just been hit again and again. Yugi's family was dead, he was partially paralyzed, now he was breaking down mentally thanks to the first-year anniversaries of his loved ones' violent deaths. Joey and Yami had been saddled with bills they couldn't possibly pay for, so they'd stripped for money and when that wasn't enough, Joey had turned to selling his body, now he was paying the price for it. And Yami was running around trying to help everyone else to no avail.

A thought suddenly occurred to him. Joey had gotten sick from one of his 'customers' and Seto was pretty sure he and Yami had slept together at least once, which was all it took, and now Yami and Seto were occasional lovers. That sort of chain made it entirely possible Seto could have the disease now.

That was a bone-chilling thought. Having all the money in the world didn't matter since there was no cure for the disease.

For a minute Seto was angry again. He had a brother, a sister-in-law, and a soon-to-be nephew to protect! And when had Yami found out that Joey was whoring around? Had he not thought of the dangers at all? Hadn't Wheeler? Even if Yami had only found out Joey was positive on Wednesday, the two of them slept together four times.

Seto turned to Yami to shout, but the words died in his throat. Yami was still sitting hunched over with his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking and when had he gotten so damn small?

Seto shook his head rapidly. Yami being upset didn't matter, the damage could have been done, thanks to their foolishness. He should throw him out and be done with him completely. He definitely needed to get himself tested, that was for sure.

And yet Yami hadn't said anything about being sick himself. Surely he would have gotten tested too. There was a possibility he wasn't sick. Maybe he'd gotten lucky. Maybe he and Joey hadn't slept together at all. It wasn't as if Seto had asked or cared to know.

But in any case, he should kick him out. He didn't have time to deal with Yami's problems on top of his own.

Seto got to his feet. "I've got a meeting to go to."

Yami nodded without raising his head. No doubt he wasn't surprised. "I'm sorry. I'll be gone before you get back, I promise."

Seto frowned down at him for a minute before sliding off his trenchcoat and draping it over Yami's shoulders.

Yami's head shot up and he turned his face to look at him, but Seto was already leaving the room and he didn't look back.

******

When Seto returned to his office after the meeting, it was five to eleven. He'd managed to settle the union's gripe without any damage to his company's finances at least. But now his head was full of even more than before.

He walked in, fully expecting Yami to be gone.

Instead, the smaller was lying lengthwise along the couch, sleeping, the trenchcoat draped over him like a blanket. Seto stopped, watching him for a minute, almost amused by the fact that what was merely a coat to him was a damn bedspread for the runt.

Seto walked over and set his briefcase down on the coffee table, reaching over to pull the trenchcoat up over Yami more. Yami awoke with a sharp gasp and sat up on his elbow. He saw Seto and looked down at the coat, hastily pulling it off of himself.

"I'm sorry, I--I guess I fell asleep. I said I'd be gone, I'm sorry, I'll just--"

Seto frowned. It wasn't like Yami to babble and look so helpless and confused. He sat down on the couch as Yami swung his legs over, making to get up. Reaching out, he caught Yami's arm and pulled him back, making him sit next to him, his arm around him. Yami looked surprised for a minute before he suddenly turned, burying his face against Seto's chest.

"Oh, gods, Kaiba, I don't know what to do," he moaned.

Seto sat there uncomfortably. He was not used to comforting someone and having someone like Yami crying made him even more uncomfortable. He was usually so composed and tough. But he'd been cracking more and more the last few months.

The fact that he was saying nothing didn't seem to bother Yami any. He just sat there, after a moment pulling his face from Seto's chest and just leaning back against him, looking down at the carpet. The silence stretched on, but eventually Yami sighed and pulled away.

"Come on," Seto said. "I'll take you home."

Yami got to his feet, still silent. Seto whirled his trenchcoat around himself and picked up his briefcase. He walked with Yami down to the parking lot. Despite getting manhandled by Takanawa's goons, Seto still drove himself more than he had his chauffer drive him. As he got older, he found he preferred doing more things for himself, though he didn't know why.

He'd had the other car taken to a dump, where it was probably now a paperweight of three cubic feet. One thing he did know, Takanawa's bullshit was costing him cars.

Yami was initially silent on the drive back to the apartment complex, but after a little while, he turned from his despondent surveying of the world outside his window and looked at Seto.

"Maybe we can reschedule going to Takanawa's," he said like it was the furthest thing from his mind.

Seto hesitated. "I can take care of it myself."

Yami looked surprised, Seto could see his face out of the corner of his eye. "Did something happen?"

"Yeah, you just spent three minutes listing everything that happened." Seto pulled into the parking space in front of the group's apartment building. He pointed to the building. "Focus on them, I've got mine."

tbc…

A/N: Sorry! I couldn't borrow my dad's computer last week and this week I only got a few hours to write, so Victorian Masque will not be up until probably midweek or next weekend. Here's four chapters of RCL, though! I've noticed a slow in reviews, but that's probably because I still have "NOT UPDATING" up there as explaining the whole situation would have taken longer. Ah, well. Maybe when I get a new computer. Jaa!


	65. Chapter 65

Chapter Sixty-Five:

Yami knelt on the kitchen floor, feeling as if the wind had just been knocked out of his lungs, staring at Joey.

"You...You have what? Are they sure?"

"Yeah, they're sure!" Joey snapped. Then he immediately softened, pulling Yami into another hug. "I'm sorry, man. I'm just...upset."

"Of course," Yami said dazedly. "Um, what are you going to do now?"

Yami knew what HIV was, because Yugi did, but he didn't know what one did when diagnosed.

"Uh..." Joey let him go and looked across the kitchen floor like he wasn't sure where he was. "I-I've got some pills from the doc. There's--heh--there's no cure, but there's a treatment. You know, I'll still die but at least not right away!" Yami hated the high-pitched, forcibly cheerful tone Joey's voice had taken. It was unnatural and alarming. "Oh, gods."

Joey suddenly surged to his feet, turned around, and was violently sick. Yami flinched and got to his feet, rubbing Joey's back with one hand and using the other to pull his hair out of his face and behind his ears. Joey coughed, then rinsed his mouth out. Even after, he remained bent over the sink, trembling.

Yami didn't know what to say. How could this have been allowed to happen? After all that they had suffered, all Joey had sacrificed for them, how could the gods hit them with this, too?

"Don't tell Yugi," Joey said abruptly, his voice now gruff. "He doesn't need to know about this."

"Joey, you can't hide this from--"

"I'm going to damn well try." Joey straightened up and looked at him. "Yug's already lost both his parents and his grandpa. He nearly lost his ability to walk and it looks like he's only got a shaky hold on his sanity. You really want to tell him I'm dying now?"

Yami bit his lip. He didn't like hiding things from his hikari, but in reality it was Joey's business and if he didn't want him to know, that was his right. He probably would have kept it from Yami as well, if he hadn't walked in on him before he could get a hold of himself. That was the way they were working, doing their best to keep bad things from each other, until they just couldn't.

"Guys?"

It was Yugi right then, sounding sleepy and disorientated, calling from his bedroom. Joey looked at Yami. "Distract him, put him back to sleep."

Yami reluctantly contacted him mentally. //It's okay, Aibou. I'm just getting a drink. Do you want something?//

/Oh...no. -Yawn- 'Night, Yami./

//Goodnight, Aibou.//

Joey was leaning forward against the sink again, but more in a contemplative manner than about-to-throw-up. Yami sighed and leaned sideways against the counter, looking at him, still unsure of what to say.

"Is...Is there anything I can do, Joey?"

"No. And, I just wanted to let you know, I don't think there's any chance you've got it yourself." He straightened up and looked at him with a crooked smile. "The doc and I talked for a long time. He's, like, ninety-nine percent sure that I got it at the end of October. Probably from the last guy I was with." He gave a short, brittle laugh. "And you and I broke up before that. But you should probably still get yourself tested, you know?"

He suddenly pulled Yami against him again, resting his cheek on top of his head, flattening his hair. "I'm sorry! Gods, Yami, I'm sorry. I fucking messed up big time."

"Joey, don't." Yami couldn't hardly stand having Joey apologizing this way after he'd just found out he was positive.

"Using protection didn't help any," Joey went on as if he hadn't spoken. "And I might have put you in danger."

"Joey, please." Yami suddenly felt like crying himself.

Joey jerked away suddenly and wiped his hand across his face. "I'm going to bed."

Yami stood and watched him walk out of the kitchen and turn down the hallway. He stood there in the kitchen for a long time, aimlessly looking at things. What could he do now? He was so used to fixing things, but it seemed he was completely helpless now. Wasn't there anything at all he could do for Joey?

Finally he made himself go to bed, though he lay awake, staring up at the ceiling, and was pretty sure Joey was doing the same thing across the hall.

******

The rest of the week passed by in a fog. Yami had absolutely no idea what had happened. He'd gone to work, but he honestly couldn't remember anything about it. He hadn't really paid any attention to anything the past few days, except Yugi and Joey.

Yugi's first Saturday appointment with the grief counselor Dr. Miller had not gone well. It was an hour long and when Yami and Joey went to pick him up, Yugi was in tears. Dr. Miller had pulled Joey aside to talk to him, at least as far as her confidentiality restrictions allowed her, while Yami held Yugi and let him cry. Yugi had confessed it was mostly because all of the memories were coming back having to talk about it, which was understandable.

Back at the house, Joey had told Yami that Dr. Miller had told him she thought Yugi's level of reaction was normal and had no reason to be concerned about Yugi hurting himself, which they already knew. Yugi had also agreed to come back the next week, which was an excellent sign.

Joey himself was far more subdued than he'd ever been. No doubt he was obsessing about his diagnosis. He'd started his medication, and Yami could only pray it would help.

And though Yami didn't want to admit it, he was feeling more and more suffocated at the apartment. Yugi was depressed, Joey was depressed, no one was talking to any of the others, and he often found himself going out and walking aimlessly.

Which was what he was doing that Saturday afternoon, after they'd come home. He'd tried to talk the other two into going with him, but neither was interested. So he was just walking by himself in the late-April sunshine.

Later, he found himself down near the wharf. He walked along an empty pier to the end and stood at the edge, looking out across the ocean. It was far from the most scenic spot, though it was aromatic. All he cared about was watching the small waves crawling across the surface of the water stirred by the wind.

He didn't know how long he stood there, just watching the waves until he was almost hypnotized by it, but he still couldn't get everything that had cropped up out of his mind. He'd taken Joey's advice, gone to see his doctor, and gave them some blood to test, but the doctor had reiterated what he'd told Joey; it was unlikely Yami was sick. And it had turned out he wasn't.

Small comfort.

Yami turned and walked back down the pier, heading for the city proper. Passing by the clock courtyard, he saw it was after six. Maybe he should go home to check in before he worried his friends. At least he should be there to make sure they ate something.

Abruptly he remembered something Kaiba had said to him on Thursday, when he'd called to find out why Yami had not shown up Wednesday night. That he could handle Takanawa on his own. While that didn't necesssarily mean anything new had cropped up, something made him think there was a new development. He probably shouldn't bother with Takanawa now that both Yugi and Joey were losing everything, but not only did he still have a promise to keep to Kaiba, he was just having trouble dealing with home right now and he knew that made him a terrible person.

He shouldn't feel smothered just because Yugi and Joey were taking their respective problems badly. Yugi had every right to be depressed these days. Though the anniversary of his mother's death was over, he had still had to deal with the memories, the discomfort of withdrawal from the drugs he was regretting ever taking, his guilt over upsetting his friends, and having to talk about everything he remembered or had thought about with Dr. Miller.

Joey, of course, had to deal with his disease, his possible death, and Yugi. As expected, he was taking the news badly. And there was nothing Yami could do for him. He was taking his medication, in secret, keeping the knowledge from Yugi. His second wave of pneumonia had been cleared up, but Yami was expecting some other symptoms to appear.

Yami didn't just feel like he was drowning, he felt like he was just standing there and watching his two best friends circling down the drain as the saying went and couldn't move to help them.

******

And now he was sitting here in Kaiba's car, having just told him all that had happened while there at Kaiba's office. To his surprise, Kaiba had been shockingly comforting to him, before driving him home. He'd thought at most Kaiba considered him a casual sexual partner.

"Kaiba, I just wanted you to know there's no possibility you have HIV," he said abruptly. "I don't."

"I see," Kaiba said mildly.

Yami was sure there was quite a lot more relief behind that simple statement. Yami hadn't considered the possibility he'd have contracted the disease himself until Joey had mentioned it, but Kaiba had no doubt thought of that immediately. And yet he hadn't shouted at him about it.

"Kaiba, what is going on with Takanawa?"

"Don't worry about that."

"I made a promise," Yami said dully. "I'd like to think there's something I can do for someone else."

He saw Kaiba look at him out of the corner of his eye but he didn't turn his head. The silence stretched so long that he considered just leaving, but then Kaiba told him everything that had happened Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Yami was stunned. Takanawa had sliced apart one of his own men just to prove a point to Kaiba? That was deplorable.

And now he wanted Kaiba to rob a bank.

"I can do it."

Kaiba turned his head to look at him again. "How?"

Yami shrugged his shoulders. "Use the Rod to control the security guard, the Ring to be invisible."

"A guard won't have the security codes."

"Then I can also control an employee who would. The Rod can handle more than one person." Kaiba was still watching him and Yami shifted uncomfortably. He knew Kaiba wasn't trying to make him feel guilty, because he wouldn't care about that. It was his own conscience eating at him and nothing else. "Yes or no?"

"If that's what you want."

"Fine. Call me whenever you want to do it." Yami opened his door and slid out. "Thank you for the ride."

He shut the door and went up to the front door of the apartment, pulling out his keys and walking inside. Kaiba backed out of the parking space and left. Yami stood and watched the car disappear around a corner before shutting the door and walking through the apartment in the dark. It was nearly midnight and the apartment was quiet.

Yami peeked in on both his friends. Each was asleep in their beds and, slightly reassured, he went into his own. Climbing into bed, he lay and stared up at the ceiling, wishing he could just will himself to sleep.

He wished he didn't feel the way he did. Yugi and Joey couldn't help themselves and it was his duty to help them, being their friend. After all, Joey had already done all he could.

But he did feel that way. The atmosphere of the apartment was becoming stifling and no matter what he said or tried to do, neither of the others could be comforted.

/Mou Hitori no Boku?/

Yami paused and slowly sat up. Naturally, he could have just responded mentally to Yugi from where he was, but he got up and walked out and down the hall. He knocked gently on Yugi's door before opening it and walking inside. The room was dark, but Yugi was sitting up; Yami could see the outline of him against the open window.

//Yes, Aibou?//

/Is something wrong with Joey?/

//Why do you ask?// Yami sat down on the edge of the bed.

Yugi sighed softly and lay down, looking up at the ceiling. Yami could see light shining against his eyes. /I don't know, he just seems really upset lately. It's not me, is it?/

//I don't think so. You will have to ask him, but he has said nothing to me.//

Yugi sighed and ran his fingers through his hair before letting his arms flop back down. /Okay. Maybe I can try talking to him./

Yami reached over and rubbed Yugi's shoulder. //Maybe you should. I think that's what he's wanted from the beginning.//

Yugi's hand rested over his. /Are you okay? I know I haven't been easy to deal with lately./

//Aibou, it's understandable. You made a mistake, but now that's over with.//

/Yeah. Maybe tomorrow I'll ask Joey to go with me to put in some new applications. Goodnight, Yami./

//Goodnight, Aibou.//

Yami got up and returned to his own room. He felt a little better now, and decided to concentrate on what he was going to be doing for Kaiba soon. Breaking into the bank was not going to be easy, but hopefully it would be the last night necessary to do. Neither of them were fooling themselves that Takanawa was still at the house in Matsubase. Now that he knew they'd been there, he would have switched locations again.

He was going to be even harder to find now than he'd ever been.

******

Kaiba's call came Monday night. The three of them were sitting at the dinner table, though none of them were eating. Joey had barely taken two bites while Yugi had started out well and was now just pushing his food around. Yami hadn't eaten at all.

When the phone rang, Joey got up and went to answer it, answering like a robot. "Yeah, he's right here." He walked over and held the phone out to Yami. "Kaiba."

Yami took the phone from him, watching Joey carefully. Yugi was as well. It was disturbing to both of them, that Joey had answered the phone to find Kaiba on the other end and hadn't so much used the words 'moneybags' or 'rich boy' let alone refrained from slamming it down. Joey merely sat back down at the table and took another, half-hearted bite from his plate.

Yami almost forgot to answer the phone. Getting up from the table, he raised it to his ear. "Yes?"

"Can you do it tonight?" Kaiba asked. "I want to get it over with."

Yami walked over to the counter where the base of the phone was. "Yes. That's fine."

"I'll pick you up at nine. That's when it closes."

Yami agreed and hung up before returning to the table. Yugi took his eyes off Joey and looked up at Yami.

/What's going on?/

//Kaiba needs my help,// Yami said shortly, making sure to word it so Yugi knew the topic was closed.

Yugi looked at Yami for a minute before turning back to Joey, who hadn't made any inquiry at all. Before he'd blown up at the slightest mention of Yami helping Kaiba, now he didn't say anything.

"Hey, Joey, there's a new movie out," he said hesitantly. "Want to go with me?"

Yami watched them both. Joey looked up from his food and at Yugi. There was a slight pause, before a faint smile touched Joey's face.

"Yeah, Yug'. I do."

Yugi smiled brilliantly and Yami stifled the urge to sigh happily. That was what they needed, to help each other through this, even if neither of them quite understood what was wrong with the other. Plus it would also be a help. While they were out to the movies, Yami could go with Kaiba.

The table was cleared and the dishes cleared and put in the sink before Yugi and Joey got their wallets and left for the movies. Yugi did ask Yami cursorily if he wanted to go, just to be polite, which made Yami smile while he declined. The two of them then left and Yami waited around for Kaiba to show up. He wasn't going to show until nine, but as Yugi and Joey were going to a seven-thirty showing, they wouldn't be back until he was gone.

Kaiba showed up a little early, which was fine with Yami. He climbed into the passenger side of Kaiba's car, Puzzle and Ring around his neck and Rod in his belt. The two of them were silent for a while before Kaiba spoke up.

"How many people can you handle at once?"

"I don't know," Yami admitted. "Marik could control a dozen, but the Rod is not mine. I would be uncomfortable with saying more than three."

"I guess it doesn't matter how many since you're going to be invisible. Once we get there, go inside and take control of whoever's there that looks like they'd be able to get in the vault. A manager would be in a suit. But sometimes the employees have access. You won't even have to bother with the security guard if you can make the manager put in the codes."

Yami nodded, ignoring the fact that Kaiba was ordering him, not asking him. That was just how the brunette was and he wasn't going to change anytime soon. There was another bout of silence before Kaiba broke it again.

"Wheeler's not taking it well, is he?"

Surprised, Yami looked over at him. Kaiba was looking straight ahead out of the windshield, his face blank.

"No, he's not. Finding out he's going to die hasn't given him a sunny outlook on life."

Kaiba smiled, but it wasn't an amused smile. "I figured that when he didn't yell me deaf when he answered the phone."

Yami wondered at Kaiba's motives for asking, but he didn't feel like arguing at the moment. He was very tired and, though Yugi and Joey were out on a date, stressed out from the last week.

The ride ended only a few minutes later as Kaiba pulled into the parking lot of a nightclub down the street. Yami knew better than to ask why, because they couldn't risk security cameras catching his car outside the bank when it was going to be robbed. Yami invoked the Ring and slid out of the car without a word, walking down the sidewalk to the bank two blocks down, which was dark except for a couple of small lights inside. Pausing outside the row of glass doors, he peered inside, looking for movement.

A security guard in a charcoal-grey uniform stood beside a desk near the back of the main room, behind the line of tellers' windows. Judging by the angle of his head, Yami was fairly certain he was talking to someone. Raising up the Rod, he focused his energy on the guard, taking over his mind. He urged him to tell whomever he was talking to that he was going to check the locks on the back door and walked around the building himself to a small, nondescript door with a key lock.

The door opened after a moment as the guard that Yami had taken over opened the door for him. He walked inside and let the guard close the door again with one of the many keys he had on a ring strapped to his belt. A handgun and a nightstick were also on the belt and Yami glanced at them as he passed the blank-faced guard.

He hoped he could keep his hold on him.

Yami walked into the bank with the guard, pushing him to show him where the vault was. As the guard was turning to walk towards a short hallway, the lady to whom he was talking appeared from where the desks were through the doorway on the right.

"Any problems?"

Yami took the chance and extended the power of the Rod over the woman. Her face went blank and she turned and went back through the doorway. Yami forced the guard to continue on to the vault. An iron-rod cage surrounded a stainless steel door with a crank wheel, a keypad with a card slot to the side of it.

The guard pulled the ring of keys up again and selected one, unlocking the cage. Yami walked in with the guard behind him and waited to the side while he walked over, pulled his ID badge off the pocket of his shirt and slid it through the card slot before punching in a complex number code. The light on the keypad turned green with a soft chirp and the guard grabbed the crank in his hands, turning it three times before pulling the door open. Yami stared at the thickness of the stainless steel before walking inside the vault.

It was a long, narrow room with a concrete floor and two walls of rows of small, metal doors with key locks and no handles. Yami stared at the closest, eye-level box, wondering how he was supposed to get it open. He didn't know much about modern finances but he was pretty sure the keys were held by only the patrons.

An idea occured to him and he told the guard to get a hammer. The guard came back meekly with the requested tool and Yami directed him to start knocking in the locks with it while he turned and left the vault and cage to search for a suitable bag to carry the stolen items.

The female employee was sitting at her desk, staring blankly off into space, in stasis while Yami kept her under the spell without any direction to her. He was glad that neither person had proven to be mentally strong enough to resist his magick.

Under the duress of the Rod, the woman got up and retrieved a canvas tote bag with a pink-and-green rose on one side that was apparently her personal bag. She dumped out a makeup bag, a wallet, a paperback novel, car keys, a hairbrush, and a perfume bottle before holding the bag out.

Yami felt a little bad seeing her do that and he straightened the items up on the desk before taking the bag she was still holding. He had her sit down again and went back through the doorway. Behind him, a phone began to ring in the offices, but he ignored it. Whoever was calling would realize the bank was closed for the night and try again the next day. He returned to the vault.

To a mess. Trying to control more than one person was harder than he thought when he was giving them specific instructions rather than to just ignore the fact that he and Kaiba were present, like the cops. The guard had gone to town on the deposit boxes, mechanically beating in the key locks with the hammer without stopping. An entire line, some fifteen boxes, had been broken, and the guard was coming back the way he'd gone on the line above that one. Yami made him stop and stand without moving while he walked over to the deposit boxes.

He stopped then, feeling his conscience striking at him. These were the personal possessions of innocent bystanders, even more devastating than the losses of the galleria and the museum.

Takanawa had to be stopped. But first, Yami had to save Kaiba from being hung on a hook and hacked to pieces. But he could compromise in a way. Promising himself he'd return everyone's items once Takanawa belonged to the Shadows, he started opening the broken doors and pulled out the long, thin boxes, selecting only one item from each before putting them back. An imperfect compromise, but it helped him feel a little better.

At the end of the first row and the quarter of the second that the guard had gotten to, the bag in his hands was heavy. Now he needed the money, three-hundred-thousand. The fourth wall of the vault held another door, this one without a keypad, and Yami was sure that the vault was actually two-chambered. He walked over and grabbed the crank wheel, turning it. There was no lock or code mechanism; if a person made it into the first chamber, they had clearance for the second.

This second chamber made him pause in awe. On metal shelves were bundles and bundles of money, from ones to thousand-dollar bills. Each denomination had its own section. Yami walked over to the twenties, wishing he'd asked Kaiba how many twenties and fifties were needed to make three hundred thousand dollars.

Yami was still counting, focusing hard on the dozens of numbers in his head, when a shrieking alarm startled him so badly he dropped a bundle of fifties on the floor. The binding snapped and the bills scattered over the concrete floor. Clapping his hands to his ears, Yami looked around.

All throughout the bank, several white lights were flashing, strobbing off the walls, while the alarms continued to screech. What had tripped them?

Yami realized too late that being frightened by the sudden noise and lights had made him lose his hold on the guard. He could hear the man shouting loudly over the sirens, sounding angry and confused. Even more distantly, the woman was yelling back. Yami started forward, intending to sneak out.

He made it to the safety deposit box room.

Then, even as he watched, the vault door was pushed shut.

tbc…


	66. Chapter 66

Chapter Sixty-Six:

Seto sat impatiently in the car, waiting for Yami to return from the bank. A glance at his watch showed that Yami had been inside for over half an hour. That was not good. This was the sort of thing that one wanted to do quickly.

He looked down the block to where the bank sat on the corner. Nothing appeared to be happening there, which could mean any number of things. He just hoped Yami knew what he was doing. It was way too late to try and come up with another plan.

Another few minutes passed, while Seto looked around through the windshield. The street itself was almost empty, despite the fairly early hour, while the bar behind him was hopping. Music pulsed from the building, overlaid by raucous chatter and laughter. A small group was loitering outside with beer bottles, despite the fact that it was illegal to take alcohol outside of the building.

As he was watching, two of the group broke away, laughing themselves silly. Then the mood changed abruptly, as it did when alcohol was involved. One of the two accidentally stumbled into the second, who shoved him away. The first took offense and the two came to blows. The others of the group came to break it up, but the two fools wouldn't be stopped.

They grappled with each other, each trying to knock the other down and gain advantage, and though both were likely stinking drunk, neither lost their footing. But one of the pair was larger than the other and shoved him backwards.

Seto was pulled into the situation when the second, bigger idiot knocked the first one into the trunk of his car, shaking the vehicle on its wheels. Cursing, Seto got out, shouting at the group to get lost. The more responsible members of the group were apologizing and trying to pull the two apart, but they wouldn't let go of each other's clothes. The first struck the car again and Seto walked forward. He grabbed the wrist of the second one and twisted it, forcing him to let go of the first one's shirt. He pushed him away, only to have the first one switch loyalties and sucker punch him across the jaw.

Seto didn't deal with drunk people. They were fools and often didn't know what they were doing, which was no excuse. If they didn't drink, they wouldn't do the stupid things they did.

"Hey, are you okay?" one of the innocents of the group asked, touching his shoulder and trying to look in his face.

"Fine," Seto growled, grabbing the front of the first person's shirt. He hefted him and flipped him over his shoulder onto his back on the hardtop. "Even better now. Get away from my car, or get sued for everything you have."

The four others grabbed up their drunk friends and pulled them away, apologizing for the two's behavior. The one Seto had thrown had had all the fight taken out of him. Three times being struck in the back was making him whimper like a child. The second one was still trying to get at Seto for shoving him, yelling slurred insults. Seto ignored him. His jaw ached a little, but Seto had been hit harder before. The man would have to use a few months' gym membership if he wanted to hurt him.

He glanced back at the bank. A shock ran through him.

The lights and sirens were going. The shrill wailing could be heard over the music and chatter behind him, and the strobing lights were flashing across the fronts of the buildings across the street.

"Yo, look!" One of the idiots behind him was pointing down the block to the bank. "Someone's robbing the bank!"

The group laughed, but even as he watched, Seto could see one of the less drunk ones was dialing her phone. It was a useless gesture, the cops were surely already on their way.

What to do? He wasn't sure why the sirens had gone off, but there were a lot of possibilities. What mattered was that it had happened. How was he supposed to get Yami out? If he hadn't already gotten out, then he couldn't get out. And since he hadn't come up to him, it seemed he couldn't get out. Seto supposed he'd been trapped somehow.

Hopefully not in the vault. If he was in there, he was in big trouble. A lock-down of the vault could not be undone except by the owner of the bank. It would require a code the guards, employees, or police would not have. And unless the bank owner was especially concerned, he wouldn't be coming back to check. He had no reason to.

There was no way out of the vault but through the front door. And the vault was airtight, to help preserve the paper bills.

If Yami didn't get out of vault, he'd suffocate by morning.

Which was a perfect reason for the bank owner to take his sweet time. A malicious man would wait by 'accident.'

And even if he didn't, how would Yami get out? Invisibility wasn't going to help if a dozen cops went charging into the narrow vault. Spooked by touching something they couldn't see, they'd probably shoot their entire magazines.

As he watched, four cop cars suddenly came screaming from two different directions on the street, coming close to colliding as they pulled up to the bank, one even jumping the curb and parking across the sidewalk. Six cops poured out of the cars, guns drawn and shouting commands to each other.

A guard in a grey uniform and a small, brunette woman met them at the door, pointing inside and shouting, though they were too far for him to make out the words. Three of the cops surged into the bank, followed by the armed security guard, with two going around the back and one cop remaining outside with the frightened bank worker.

Seto glanced back at the group behind him. They were cheering and hooting, taking big gulps of their beers. Seto doubted they would remember the bank was robbed let alone the fact that he was there.

He hoped, because he was about to take a risk.

Getting into his car, he drove the long way around the block, coming up from the other way. Just as he was about in line with the back door of the bank, he revved the engine and shot forward. He whipped around the corner to the front of the bank, jumped the far curb to avoid the cop cars in the street, and raced on. He glanced in the rearview mirror, to see the cop who was talking to the bank worker jump into his car to follow.

He took another corner, then another as soon as he could. He pushed the gas pedal down, hearing the sirens falling behind into the distance. Taking another few turns, he slowed down, then hesitantly pulled into the parking lot of a convenience store. He got out, went in, and bought a pack of cigarettes, and a lighter. It didn't matter to him if a rumor went around that he smoked, he needed the lighter, a model that's flame remained on even after the user had removed his thumb.

Leaving the store, he got back into his car and drove off. He could no longer hear the sirens and wasn't sure if that was good or bad. He would have to continue on as if it was good.

He didn't know this area well, but it was perfect for what he had in mind, dirty and run-down, with several empty buildings abandoned. Seto chose one and pulled into the parking lot, driving his car behind the building, out of sight. He hadn't seen anyone in the area, except one car passing by, so it was secluded enough. There was nothing in the car that could be tied to him, but the license plates were registered to him, as well as the car's IN number. He reminded himself to hack into the DMV and change those records before taking off his trenchcoat and wrapping it around his arm. He smashed the driver's side window and picked up a piece of the glass, sliding in under the car, and cutting through the fuel line with the shard.

The gas began to leak out, though Seto was careful not to get any on himself, getting out from under the car in a hurry before the spreading fuel puddle could reach him. He put his trenchcoat back on and waited, watching the gas begin to trickle along the pavement, following the cracked, uneven surface. That was what he wanted. He waited until the gas had run a four-foot trail, then clicked the lighter. It came on and Seto stepped back as far as he could before lightly tossing the lighter, so the resulting wind wouldn't put out the flame.

The gas ignited and Seto whipped around, racing around the front of the building just as the car's gas tank exploded. A loud WHUMP! echoed through the buildings, but the bricks protected Seto from the shock wave. Now the car was up in flames, which would erase whatever fingerprints, hairs, or fibers were there.

Torching his car probably wasn't necessary, but he had no idea whether the cop that had followed him had gotten a look at his license plate and even if he hadn't, his trained eyes would have picked out the make and model and he couldn't return to the scene in the same car.

Walking to the sidewalk, he heard the car burning behind the building. Knowing he only had a few minutes before the cops came to investigate the explosion, he hurried down the street to its T-section cross. He went across the street and slipped along the alley, putting himself on the next block.

From there, he made the long walk back to the nightclub, which would be the safest place to scope out the situation.

The group that had been out front now had tripled as nightclub patrons came out to see the drama. Seto approached one and inquired what was going on, dismayed to see that two of the cop cars were still at the bank. His diversion might not have helped Yami at all.

The drunk man did his best to tell Seto what had happened, talking even after Seto had walked away. Seto walked through the crowd, his eyes on the bank, waiting to see if Yami had been discovered.

A hand on his arm made him stop and he turned his head.

Yami was standing there, and Seto could see his jacket was bulging oddly. Had he really not only escaped, but gotten what Takanawa wanted?

Seto turned and walked away with him, towards the sidewalk and away from the nightclub. They would have to get out of there before the cops decided to talk to the patrons.

"Where's your car?" Yami asked once they were out of earshot of the group watching the bank.

"Burning behind an abandoned building."

Yami glanced at him, but didn't say anything. He knew to wait to exchange stories until they were out of danger. Seto pulled his cell phone out of his trenchcoat pocket and dialed the number of his chauffer. He woke him up from sleep, but ordered him to come and get them at a corner a few blocks away. The sleepy driver promised and Seto hung up.

The two walked to the appointed place, Seto concerned that the cops, who would be doing a sweep of the surrounding area, would find them before the driver got there. Yami could go invisible, but Seto couldn't, and he didn't need their suspicions.

A cop car did end up passing by before the driver arrived, but staying behind the cover of the decorative hedges lining the front of an insurance company's building was enough to avoid detection. Once the cop car had turned a corner, they came back out, Seto cursing fluently by now. He was pissed about being reduced to a petty thief yet again.

The driver arrived not long afterwards and the pair of them got in. Seto put up the privacy glass, then turned to Yami, who pulled a rolled-up tote bag out of his jacket. The bag had a red rose on it, but was half-filled with bundles of cash and jewelry. Seto would have to count it, but it looked like the amount Takanawa wanted.

"So you got it," he said unnecessarily. "What happened?"

"I don't know. I was in the vault, getting the money when the alarms suddenly went off. Neither of the employees tripped it, I had them under control. Until the alarms startled me. The security guard locked me in the vault, even though I don't think he knew I was in there."

Seto considered. "I suppose there was a timer on the vault. It was being opened after hours by the code a guard knew. It might have had a time limit--30 minutes, I guess--before it asked for another code. When the system didn't get it, it tripped itself. I didn't think about that. But if you were locked in the vault, how did you get out?"

"The guard opened it again for the cops. There were three of them and the guard, and I didn't have any room to get out, but suddenly two of them turned around and went to the doors."

"That was me. I went by in my car and led at least one of them on a chase. That's why my car's on fire. I lost them, but I don't know if one of them saw my license plate. I got a lighter, pulled it around an abandoned building, and lit it up. I'll change the records at the DMV when I get home."

"Oh. Anyway, there was enough room for me to get by and I made it out into the bank itself. The front door was still propped open and I went out through it. I bumped into one of the cops, but, as you can see, I got out."

Seto nodded, looking at the contents of the bag. Hopefully it would be enough.

The driver took them back to Seto's mansion. Ignoring Yami, Seto went up to his home office, setting the bag on the desk. He immediately got onto his computer, hacked into the DMV, and changed the records of the ownership of the car to a fake name and address. He could only hope the cops hadn't gotten the fire put out and the license number run.

He doubted it, it took a while to do that sort of investigating, even for the police.

"I suppose the cops will do an investigation of the vault for your prints and hair," he said to Yami, who had come in and taken a seat on the couch. "but I doubt it matters. You don't have any existence on paper."

While at least one hospital had Yami's DNA on file after running his HIV test, it would be impossible for the cops to find him out. He had no records in the police database and no birth records.

"Unless you and Yugi have identical DNA."

Yami frowned at him. "Aibou and I are not the same person, Kaiba."

Seto shrugged. "I have no idea how this 'yami and hikari' stuff works. Is he another person entirely, a soul reincarnation, or another you? Do you even know?"

Yami scowled and rolled his eyes, which meant he either didn't know or didn't care to explain it to Seto. It was still fun to tease him. Seto turned back to the bag and opened it, beginning to count the money Yami had gotten. He had it finished in three minutes.

"Three hundred thousand, five hundred, forty."

Yami shrugged his shoulders and leaned back against the couch with his arms folded. "I don't have your numbers skill."

One of the twenties bundles must have had extra bills in it. Seto gathered the money back up and stuffed it loose into the bag along with the bundle wrappers. Let Takanawa deal with throw those away himself, Seto didn't need them in his trash for the same reason he hadn't thrown away Sentoryou's belongings months ago. The cops could trace anything to you with the right motivation. He knew his fingerprints were now on the money as well as it would have been impossible to count it with gloves on, and Takanawa could send the money to the cops, put in an anonymous tip, and the cops could gather Seto's fingerprints off anything he threw away, but he would have to take that chance.

It wasn't likely Takanawa would take that route. He wanted Seto to mess up on his own and doing it for him wouldn't be as fun.

"Well, that's done. Come on, I'll take you home."

Seto looked up, to find that Yami was already gone. He had slipped out while Seto was stuffing the money and jewelry back into the bag.

Why hadn't he stayed? Seto would have taken him home, he had to know that. Though Yami was the last person who had to fear a mugger. With the Puzzle, Ring, and Rod at his disposal, he was basically invincible against any petty thug. If he wanted to walk, that was his business and one last thing Seto had to worry about.

It wasn't as if he didn't have enough on his plate right now.

tbc…


	67. Chapter 67

Chapter Sixty-Seven:

Yami walked slowly down the sidewalk. He could have asked Kaiba to take him home as it was a long walk, but he had a lot to think about. He always seemed to lately.

He'd come very close to being caught there in the vault. If Kaiba hadn't distracted some of the cops, he would have been found out, invisible or not. If that had happened, he could have gotten shot by a startled cop or locked in by a frightened group sure a ghost was about.

But he hadn't been, so there was no reason to obsess about it. No, what he should be considering what was Takanawa would do now that Kaiba had gotten the amount he had wanted from the bank. Kaiba had told him he suspected Takanawa had set this up to destroy him. He wasn't toying with him anymore.

So if Kaiba showed up with the money and jewelry, Friday at midnight, what would happen then? Did Katana have orders to kill him regardless of whether he succeeded or not or would Takanawa be impressed and decide to try again?

Maybe Yami should stop by Friday night, with or without Kaiba's permission, and attack Katana. He could either kill him or take him over. He supposed he could try controlling Katana to take him back to Takanawa's and just end it all. That would be a preferable outcome, because it would keep everyone else safe. The only problem was what he'd brought up before: would he be able to handle all of those men at the same time, invisible or not?

He was willing to give it a try to take all the danger upon himself.

It was after midnight by the time he made it home. Yugi and Joey were clearly home as the car was parked in their space. He entered the apartment, to find Yugi sprawled out on the couch. He turned his head when Yami entered the room.

//Aibou, what's wrong?//

Yugi sat up and shrugged his shoulders. Yami walked over and sat down on the couch next to him, concerned, but also weary. What had happened now?

/I don't know./

//How was your date?//

Yugi sighed and made a gesture with his hand. /I don't know what went wrong./

Uh-oh. //Did you two fight?//

/No. No, it was worst than that. I don't know, I guess Joey's still pissed at me, Yami./

//Why do you say that?//

Yugi shrugged his shoulders again, but despite his expressionless attitude, Yami could sense how upset he was. He was just trying to keep from seeming depressed yet again.

/I don't know,/ he repeated. /It was just... nothing. We went to the movie and got some ice-cream on the way home, but Joey didn't say hardly two words together the whole night. And then when we got home, he just went to bed. It was...like there's nothing there anymore./

Yami groaned inwardly, in a way that Yugi couldn't hear. Oh, no.

//Aibou...I wouldn't be discouraged just yet. I lived with Joey for a year without you and you were all he talked about. Yes, your incident with the heroin hurt him, I won't deny that, but that's not a reason to suspect he doesn't care for you anymore. He went with you, didn't he? Don't give up. Ask him out again sometime.//

/Maybe you're right,/ Yugi admitted. /He did go out with me in the first place, didn't he?/

Yugi smiled a little and Yami smiled back, cheering him. Yugi sighed and hooked his arm through Yami's and leaned against his arm, putting his head on his shoulder.

/What about you?/ Yugi's voice suddenly turned a mix of teasing and curious. /Why are you coming in so late?/ He turned his head, looking up at him. /Oh, wait a minute. Didn't Kaiba call?/

//Yes.//

/Can't you tell me?/

//It's probably best if I don't.//

Yugi's brow furrowed. /You're not in trouble again, are you?/

//No.//

It was the truth, in its fashion. He hadn't been caught. As Kaiba had pointed out, he had no existence on paper, so any fingerprints he'd left weren't something to worry about. Though Kaiba had been malicious when he'd asked Yami if he and Yugi shared identical DNA--and by association fingerprints--Yami was sure it wasn't true. He and Yugi were soul halves, but not identical people. And Takanawa didn't know about him either, making him Kaiba's ace-in-sleeve.

Yugi looked up at him a moment longer before dropping his head back on his shoulder. /If you're sure. You guys aren't holding anything back from me, are you?/

//Why do you say that?//

/I just don't want you guys not telling me if something's wrong because you think I can't handle it./

Yami rubbed Yugi's arm soothingly, but he didn't say anything. In reality, that was the very reason he and Joey didn't tell Yugi anything. Because he didn't seem to be handling anything right at the moment. He was getting better, that was true, but another strike might shatter him.

//Aibou, you should probably go to bed. When are you and Joey going to go fill out applications?//

They had not gone Sunday, like Yugi had planned when he and Yami had talked Saturday night. Tomorrow was Tuesday, which was Joey's day off. Yami had to go in to the Fine Art World at two, which would leave the two of them together for most of the evening. Maybe they could fix it, still.

/I guess I can ask him tomorrow,/ Yugi said.

//Yes, do that.//

Yugi lifted his head and smiled, then got to his feet. He turned around and kissed Yami on the cheek before walking around the couch and heading down the hall to his room. Yami got up and went down the hall, but instead of going to his room, he peeked into Joey's room.

To his surprise, Joey was awake, his lamp on. He was lying on his back in bed with his hands behind his head. He saw Yami at the door and brought his hands forward and waved Yami in. He came into the room and shut the door, walking over to sit down on the edge of the bed.

"Kaiba still getting you in trouble?" Joey asked.

Yami tried to gauge Joey's mood before he answered. He seemed tired and disconnected, but he'd asked and that left a possibility for him to blow up.

"No. I'm fine."

Joey smiled a little and nodded. "I can see that. But that doesn't mean he isn't still being a jerk."

Yami shrugged his shoulders. "It's fine."

"I heard you talking to Yug' out there, though I couldn't hear what you were talking about. Is something wrong with him?"

Yami studied Joey's face. "He's upset that your date didn't go well. I told him not to be discouraged, but that--"

"You probably shouldn't have done that."

"Why? He said he doesn't think you have any interest anymore, but I--"

"Yami, look, I'm just going to have to come out and say it. Yug' and I aren't going to be a couple. Ever."

"But--"

Joey sighed and reached out, wrapping his arm around Yami's waist and pulling him back to lay against his chest.

"Look, Yami, don't you get it? What kind of relationship can I offer Yug' anyway? Gods, I'm afraid to kiss him! I certainly can't do anything else."

Yami bit his bottom lip. He understood what Joey was getting at. He was highly contagious, and contact was out of the question.

"Well...sex needn't be the basis of a relationship."

Joey snorted. "I know that. But he's gonna wonder and I can't tell him I'm sick. No way. So...I'd rather just let him think I'm a jerk."

"He thinks it's his fault."

"Then I'll tell him it isn't. I'll tell him it's me. That I found someone else, I don't know, but something so that he can find someone else himself and actually have a life since I'm not going to."

"Joey--"

"Save your cheering up, Yami, please. This isn't exactly something that can be made better with cake and hugs." He pulled his arm up from where he'd had it draped over Yami. "Doesn't matter whether it's six months from now or thirty years. There's nothing I can offer Yug' or anybody else and that's the end of it. As it is, maybe I shouldn't be here at all."

"How can you think that."

Joey pushed at Yami, making him sit up and nearly pushing him off the bed before he could get his legs under him. Yami turned around, looking down at Joey as the blond looked back up at him with an expression that was a mix of cold defiance and heartbreaking hopelessness.

"Because even if it were just an accident, the wrong kinda contact with me...even cutting the tip of my finger...could get you guys sick. I'm a walking death sentence and accidents aren't avoidable."

"Joey, you can't leave just because there's a small possibility you could somehow, some way, infect us. It's very unlikely."

"But it's not impossible. I'd never forgive myself."

Yami looked down at Joey helplessly. "It's not your fault."

"I was a prostitute, Yami. You grow up knowing the risks, and I took them anyway. I brought it on myself. But I'm not going to bring it on you."

"Where would you go?"

"I don't know. I'll think of something."

"I can't let you just go."

"Unless you plan on putting the magick whammy on me, you don't get a say in it." Joey waved his hand at the door and looked at the wall beneath the sill of his window. "Goodnight."

"Joey--"

Joey batted at his lamp, nearly knocking it over as he tripped the push-switch, plunging the room into darkness.

tbc…


	68. Chapter 68

Chapter Sixty-Eight:

Seto glanced up as a knock came to his door, which was opened by one of his maids, who poked her head in. She smiled hesitantly at him, emboldened by the fact he didn't immediately yell her out.

"Uh, Mr. Kaiba, a Mr. Moto is here to see you."

Seto frowned in surprise, then sighed, waving his hand. "Let him in."

He only agreed to let Yami in, because he was sure he'd come in anyway. The day he'd shown up drunk to agree to this whole mess in the first place, he'd knocked his butler unconscious. The man didn't remember the incident, but a precedent for Yami breaking in was set.

"Yami, is there a reason you're here?" Seto asked without looking up from the report he was reading when his office door opened again.

"Wasn't Katana coming tonight at midnight?"

Yami came over and settled on the edge of Seto's desk. Seto glanced at him briefly, but his look for Yami to get off the desk was wasted on him. Turning back to his report, he nodded. It was the twenty-ninth and Katana was supposed to be knocking on his door in more than an hour.

"Yes. So why?"

Yami held the Rod across the report, in Seto's line of vision, before pulling it back. "I'll take him over, go back to Takanawa's with him, and kill the lot of them."

Seto looked up slowly. "I thought you said you weren't sure you could handle them all."

"I'll make an attempt."

Yami got off the desk and crossed the room. Seto watched as he went to the sidebar that was largely for show, though it did contain alcohol Seto sometimes drank. Yami chose a glass decanter filled with hard scotch and pulled the stopper out, pouring some into an empty glass with a small handful of ice from the silver container. He raised the glass and took a drink.

Seto frowned, still holding the report in his hands, though he wasn't looking at it anymore. Yami sounded...wrong. His words were homicidal and now he was mixing it with hard liquor. Something had to have gone wrong.

Yami wasn't forthcoming if that were true. He walked over to the couch and sat down, sipping the drink, looking off into space. Seto watched him a moment longer before returning to his report. Whatever was on Yami's mind wasn't his business and he didn't want to get involved again.

After all, he still wasn't sure if he forgave Yami for risking his health with his inattentiveness. Surely anyone could have put the two and two together of Joey being a prostitute and then feeling ill with the number one hazard of promiscuous sex: an STD. But, no, they were so worried about Yugi they weren't paying mind to anything else.

As for Yugi, he'd had over a year to accept the deaths of his family and if he wasn't there yet, then he wasn't as strong as Yami insisted he was, not in Seto's mind. After all, he wasn't the only orphan in the group. Perhaps Yami should bring up the fact that he himself had lost both of his parents by the time he was seventeen to his hikari.

But it still wasn't Seto's business and he wasn't going to start a fight with Yami over what was best for Yugi. He had his own family to worry about and Yugi was Yami's responsibility.

When Seto finished his report, and the necessary proofreading he'd found, he looked up at the clock, seeing that it was only ten-thirty. He looked across the room at Yami, who was still sitting on the couch with a scotch glass in his hand. Though Seto hadn't been paying attention to the amount he'd drunk, he was sure that was not the same glassful he'd started out with.

"Think you might want to slow down there, AA-candidate?"

Yami looked up from wherever he'd been looking at. "I know my limit, Kaiba. I've been drinking since I was six."

But he set the glass on the bartop. He got up and walked over, perhaps to show Seto just how steady he was. He sat down on the edge of the desk again and stared at him. Seto scowled and glared back at him.

"Why are you here so early anyway?"

He'd inadvertently invited Yami to vent. "I'm tired of being at home."

Seto raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I thought you lived for your friends."

"I do. But there's nothing I can do to help them. Aibou refuses to talk about what continues to plague him. I'm beginning to think it might not be the deaths of his family anymore, but he won't say. As for Joey, he thinks having this disease makes him an outcase now. And he has yet to tell Yugi that he's sick. Instead, he is looking for a different apartment on the side. He thinks he can't be around us."

"Well," Seto sighed. "Did you tell him that doesn't necessarily have to be true?"

"I don't know anything about the illness but the basics."

"You can look it up. Or ask a doctor. Enough about Wheeler, though. When Katana gets here, take him over and we'll both go to Takanawa's--"

"No. I'll go alone. I can't make you invisible. I'll do it myself. I'll kill all of them, don't worry about that. I won't screw up."

Yami got up and walked over to the large picture window to the right of the desk, staring out into the darkened backyard. Seto watched him, wondering at the sudden coldness in Yami's viewpoint of the matter. Had he always been this determined to kill the mobsters? Was he always this calm about killing? The event itself didn't bother Seto, but Yami was definitely in a different mood since the last time he'd seen him.

Well, whatever worked to get the job done. Seto hadn't talked to Mokuba in a few days, but he knew his brother was getting tired of being on the island and was antsy to know that the danger was passed.

Yami was silent for the rest of the hour and a half before the arrival of midnight. Seto didn't attempt to engage him in talk, letting him stew in his thoughts. It wasn't his job to act as go-between for the soap opera participants across town and though he felt some sympathy for the blond mutt he'd fought with for years, he still wasn't interested enough to try and show him something he should have been able to find out himself.

Midnight tolled on the old-fashioned grandfather clock in the family room, twelve solemn peals ringing through the mansion. Yami had followed Seto downstairs when he went down a little after eleven. But all he did was go to the large window facing to the side yard and the tennis court that hadn't been used since Gozaburo's time. But once the twelve peals started, he suddenly turned around, tense and yet calm.

"He's here."

There was no way Yami could have seen Katana. Even though there was a forward-facing window in the room, to Yami's line of view, there was a high, wingback chair in the way and he'd been so engrossed in his thinking. It was almost as if he'd sensed Katana, and maybe he had.

Seto got to his feet from the couch, snagging the bag of money and jewelry from the coffee table, walking to the door. Katana had not rung the bell, which was probably one of his scare tactics. Steeling himself, Seto opened the door.

Katana stood in the pool of light cast by the doorside lamp. He stood rail straight, face expressionless, holding the sheath of the katana in his left hand at his side, ready to use. His cold, black eyes raised to Seto's face when he opened the door and he stepped forward to enter the foyer without an invitation, forcing Seto to step back.

Seto kept his eyes on the sword-wielding freak, but he hoped Yami was smart enough to have gone invisible. Katana's eyes never left his face, so he guessed he had. But it was very stupid of Katana. Seto could have had an accomplice waiting to blow his head off with a gun once he stepped inside. However, he was clearly so confident in either his own skills or in Takanawa's fearsomeness that he didn't bother with looking around. It was probably the former.

Knowing Katana's penchant for silence, if indeed he was possessed of a voice, Seto merely held out the bag. Katana reached out with his right hand and took it. This, of course, left both of his hands occupied and so Seto could have attacked him, but he didn't know the extent of Katana's abilities. As much as he hated to admit it, as he always would, it was better to let Yami handle it for now.

And then something happened. For the first time, Katana made an expression. His face scrunched up in a pained frown, like he had just gotten a bad headache, and his eyes darted briefly from side to side. Seto knew what had happened; yet again Yami's powers had been blocked.

The reaction was sudden. Katana dropped the bag of money on the floor, his now-free right hand grabbing the hilt of the katana, yanking it out of the sheath in a fast, well-practiced movement. Dropping the sheath to the floor, he raised the sword up and slashed at Seto, who tried to back up, but he was far too slow for the trained killer.

Clang! Yami suddenly appeared from thin air in front of Seto, the Rod raised up, clutched in both hands. Katana's blade had been caught between the round head of the Millennium Item and the right wing. Katana looked surprised, but only for a second. He jerked the katana back up and then around, making for a gut-opening slash. Yami jumped back out of the way, but the blow was so close that a pair of nicks were opened up in his jacket.

Seto turned for the gun in the drawer to the side of the front door. His movement drew Katana's attention. The man jumped up and spun in midair, landing a ninja-style kick against Seto's sternum, knocking him back into the jamb of the doorway leading into the living room. He slid down to the floor, briefly winded, his chest-bone and spine both aching.

Katana had not forgotten Yami. As soon as his feet touched the floor, he whipped his sword around in an arc, intending to decapitate him. Yami was not caught off-guard. He raised the Rod up, blocking the blow, then jerked him arm out, shoving the sword away. Katana slashed at him again immediately, but Yami was ready for that, stepping back and spinning away to the right at the same time to dodge the strike.

Seto was down, but he was not out. Ignoring the pain in his chest, he got to his feet, going for the gun in the drawer again. Yami was clearly a skilled fighter, but he had only that Millennium Item while Katana had his long sword. He was going to mess up and get skewered. And Seto needed to do something to help.

Considering his place in life, and all the pitfalls and jealousy having a lot of money brought, he'd purchased a pair of guns to keep in the house, just in case. He was confident, but realistic. And so he had a Colt .45 and a Smith & Wesson .38 Special in the house, and he also knew how to use them. He was no crack shot, but he could hit whatever he aimed at.

Before all this had started, the guns had been kept in locked-up drawers, one down by the front door and the other up in Seto's bedroom, unloaded. These days he kept the drawers unlocked and the guns loaded and ready to go. Such had his life been changed.

His back was now to the fight, though he could hear the clanging of the katana against the Rod. Seto yanked open the drawer to grab the Colt, hearing a thud behind him, and knew that there was nothing for it. The moment of truth had come and he needed to prove he had the balls to end this.

"Kaiba, left!" Yami yelled.

Seto didn't turn to look or question, he just leapt to the left. The katana struck the table he'd been standing in front of, knocking the drawer eskew and gouging ruts in the edges of the top and the drawer. Seto ignored the close call and turned around, raising the Colt and pointing it at Katana. Yami was laying on the floor, propped up on his elbow where he'd been about to get up. Clearly he'd been kicked by Katana as well.

Yami climbed to his feet in a swift movement. The Rod was now split in half, revealing the knife hidden within, the halves held in each of his hands, about to strike. However, Katana was standing completely still, holding the katana up at the ready for a backhanded slash, but not attempting to go after either of them. His eyes were sliding from Seto to Yami, tense and waiting.

Seto stared at him, holding the Colt in his hand, aimed at his mid-section. Yami stood on the other side of Katana, the Rod still held in his hands. He then slid the halves together, put the Item into his belt and reached down to grab the Puzzle in his left hand, raising up his right. Seto knew he was about to perform his Mind Crush and he decided to let him handle it. Less mess.

Katana then proved just how proficient a warrior he was, and how fearless. Despite the gun Seto was holding on him, he moved. He whipped his katana around and threw it, the blade zipping through the air at Seto while he twisted to his left and punched Yami hard in the face.

Yami went down, hitting the floor again with a thud, hissing like a scalded cat. Seto flinched away from the blade as it came at him, moving just enough. The blade went over his shoulder, very close. He felt the wind of its passing against his cheek and heard the whistle in his ear. In his hand, the gun went off as he squeezed the trigger automatically.

Katana turned and bolted over to the door. Seto straightened up and fired again, but he missed, shooting the door as Katana opened it and disappeared on the other side of it. Seto cursed, racing around the door and out onto the front porch, peering into the darkness. Katana was barely visible, more than halfway across the lawn, bypassing the circular drive and cutting across the grass, towards the open front gate. Seto knew he wouldn't be able to hit him, but he fired again anyway, pissed off.

He turned back into the house, cursing fluently. Yami was on his feet, holding the thrown katana in his hands and examining it. The bag of money remained on the floor of the foyer, bills and jewels scattered. The sheath also lay on the flagged marble, empty.

Seto now realized there was some blood on the floor, a small spray across the stones with drips leading to the door. He'd hit Katana, probably with the first bullet, but it had not been enough.

Katana had escaped.

tbc…


	69. Chapter 69

Chapter Sixty-Nine:

Yami sat in the softness of the leather couch in Kaiba's home office, holding the abandoned katana. It was a wonderfully made sword, perfectly balanced. Katana had kept it in flawless condition. The blade was honed sharp, shining, without nicks or dirt to mar it. The katana's sheath lay across his lap, along with the Ring and Rod.

Kaiba sat at his desk across the room, the bag of money and jewels now resting on the top. He'd cleaned up the blood downstairs, then picked up the stolen items and put them back in bag before bringing it up here. Yami had followed him, knowing Kaiba was thinking about what to do next.

"So, Katana has escaped," he said, mostly to himself. "And soon Takanawa will know he doesn't have the money he wanted."

Yami said nothing, turning the sword over in his hands. He was rather disappointed. He'd come very close to finally gaining some ground for them against this malicious group and had failed. Katana had escaped having his mind shattered and gotten away. And Takanawa would be angry. There was no telling how he'd react. Whatever they did hinged on what he would do next.

"You could pay a little more attention," Kaiba accused him.

Yami looked over at him, holding the katana in one hand and picking up the sheath with the other. He sheathed the sword and laid it across his lap.

"Takanawa is going to be angry. Got it."

Kaiba frowned at him. He had his elbows up on the desk, his fingers steepled beneath his chin like he always did when he was thinking hard. His expression was admonishing. Yami merely held his gaze, waiting. Kaiba finally looked away, getting to his feet and sighing.

"So much for your hocus pocus," he said.

Yami growled. "My 'hocus pocus' is not infallible, Kaiba. I have told you that before. Neither are you, but you don't seem willing to take the shared blame of failed plans."

Kaiba gave him a dirty look, then turned to look out the window to the right of the desk. Yami sat there for a moment, watching him looking out the window, then got to his feet, picking up the Rod, Ring, and sword from his lap before they could fall to the carpet.

"I need to get home. Let me know if you need anything else."

Kaiba looked at him over his shoulder, then shrugged. To Yami's surprise, he turned around and headed for the door. When he saw Yami was just standing there, he frowned and made a gesture to the door.

"Are you coming or what?"

"You're going to take me home?" Yami walked over to him, preceding him through the door.

"It's not like I haven't before," Kaiba said. "Or do you want to walk across the city at one in the morning?"

Yami didn't argue. Kaiba was driving him around a lot lately. He might as well take the offer since it was there.

Kaiba drove him home and dropped him off at the apartment. He was silent the whole way and didn't say anything when he pulled up into the lot next to Joey's car. He was clearly lost in thought, no doubt wondering what they were going to do now. Yami didn't offer him any advice. He was tired of this, and tired of thinking up plans that didn't work. Takanawa was probably going to change his address again now that Kaiba had made an aggressive move against him. And then they would have to track him down. Again.

Perhaps there would be another way for Yami to track him down, on his own. He wasn't sure how, but Kaiba clearly wasn't able to think up a way to do it successfully. Unless...

"Did I steal that dog for no reason?" he demanded as they sat in the car in front of the apartment. "Didn't you place tracking devices inside it?"

Kaiba nodded, turning his head to look at him. "Yeah. I haven't tried them yet. I haven't really had a chance to. I know Takanawa knows about one of them, but hopefully he hasn't found all of them. I'll try it tomorrow, to see whether he's left his place at Matsubase. But he's going to be pissed about Katana. I wouldn't be surprised if he pulls up stakes and makes a run for it again."

"It doesn't matter. You can still track him down. I am sick of this, Kaiba. I want it to be over with."

"Do you think I'm having fun? Look, your magick's really not being all that much use."

Yami's eyes widened. "Not much use?" he repeated indignantly. "My magick is all that has kept you alive. Nothing would have been a success if not for me."

Kaiba waved his hand impatiently. "I know that. But not against anyone."

"I have attempted only mind control, to help. I've told you, no one can withstand my Mind Crush."

"That you know of. But didn't you just say you're not infalliable? I'm not going to rely on something I don't believe in one hundred percent. If you're so certain of it, that's great, but I'm not."

"Do you not want me to help you anymore?"

Kaiba growled and sighed. "No, that's not what I'm saying. Clearly only brute force is going to be a decider in this and I'll be the first to admit I'm no gunslinger. If you want to still help me, fine. Be over at Kaiba Corp. tomorrow at six. We'll turn on the trackers and see what happens."

"You're sure? You want to give my 'hocus pocus' another chance?"

Kaiba glared at him. "Don't be a smartass."

"And don't be an asshole." Yami opened his door and got out. "I made you a promise, Kaiba. Unlike you, I can be trusted."

Yami shut the door and walked up to his front door. Behind him, the sports car backed out and drove off with a screech of tires. Ignoring it, Yami unlocked the front door and walked inside. The interior was silent, and dark except for a little light coming from one of the sockets across the living room next to the entrance of the hall. Yami shut the door and went to investigate, gazing down at a little square-shaped white nightlight that gave off just enough radiance to see by. A faint smile ticked his mouth. It was courtesy of Yugi, no doubt.

Yami bent and flicked the nightlight off, walking down the short hall to his room by feel. He went inside and shut the door, turning on his dresser-top lamp and undressed, getting into his pajamas. He placed the Puzzle gently on his bedside table, while the Rod and the Ring went back into the chest holding the other Millennium Items.

The katana he set inside his closet, leaning it up against the back corner. He looked at it a minute, a grim smile curving his mouth. It was a memento, a trophy of, if not winning the fight, having come off better.

He knew Katana would want it back.

******

The final day of April dawned a cloudy, unseasonably cold day, but it wasn't raining. Yami woke and got showered and dressed before heading into the kitchen for breakfast. Joey was there, eating a bowl of cereal with toast. When he saw Yami come in, he picked up the box and shook it in invitation. Yami grabbed a bowl and a spoon from the cupboard and sat down at the table with him. He picked up the box of sugared rice cereal and poured a bowl, adding milk from the carton sitting next to the box and began to eat.

"Where is Aibou?"

"Out putting in applications."

Yami looked up at him. Joey's eyes were on his cereal, his spoon swirling in the soggy rice.

"Alone?" It was not necessary to ask, as the answer was obvious, but he did anyway, in an attempt to see if Joey felt any guilt for it. No such luck.

"Yeah."

Yami frowned and turned back to his own breakfast. Joey was determined to push Yugi away, thinking it was best for him. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. But there was nothing Yami could do about it. He'd given Joey his opinion and in the long run it was up to him to do what he wanted. If it weren't for the fact that he thought Joey needed Yugi more now than ever, he would have considered it none of his business.

"I've got a doctor's appointment today at four," Joey said. "Guess I'll be home around five or so."

Yami nodded, still looking down at his own bowl of cereal. Joey was in an unrelenting spiral of depression. By comparison, Yugi was almost cheerful. In fact, he had seemed happier the last couple of days than he'd been since the first session with Dr. Miller.

Yugi had been set up to attend weekly meetings with the counselor. That didn't sound like much, but any attempt Yugi was willing to make to put the past behind him was a step in the right direction. And he did seem happier, for whatever reason. At least, he was going out to put in applications, which he'd done the previous day, as well.

And alone then, too.

Yami desperately wanted to do something to make Joey feel better, but he was woefully inadequate. Maybe the doctor would be able to provide better insight than Yami could.

"Joey, have you considered asking your doctor more about this illness?"

Joey raised his gaze without lifting his head, looking at Yami from beneath his eyelashes with a look that could be either despair or resentment.

"Yami, there's nothing he can do. It's an incurable *disease*." He stressed the word, as if he thought the word illness was insufficient to describe what he had.

"I meant... Has no progress been made?"

"In curing it? No. Not that I've heard of, anyway."

"But living with it...?"

Joey gave him another dark look before raising his chin up and looking slightly thoughtful. Then he shook his head and looked back down again. "Yami, I just don't want to be responsible for hurting you or Yug'."

"We're your friends, Joey. We're here to take the risk. And I know you'd never be so foolish as to endanger us."

Joey snorted softly and got to his feet, taking his half-finished bowl of cereal to the sink. He poured it down the drain and strained it through the garbage disposal. When the loud noise of the motor had died away, he looked back at Yami.

"But I am a fool. Or I wouldn't be sick in the first place. Look, I'm not going to make any more moves on Yug', okay? End of discussion. But...maybe you're right about talking to the doc a little more. It's not like I haven't thought about it before." A faint smile touched his lips. "'Cause I really don't want to move away from you guys. I just don't want to make you sick."

"Talk to the doctor," Yami urged. "See what he thinks."

"Yeah. Maybe it's not as bad as I think." He snorted sarcastically and left the kitchen.

Yami heard him get his keys from the front table and heard the door open and close. A minute after that came the sound of the car's engine. He sat there alone in the kitchen and finished his unappetizing cereal before getting his own keys and heading out the door to his shift at the Fine Art World.

Annie was in a frenzy. With only six days left before her big show uptown, she was flying around, making sure everything was perfect.

"Ohh, I hope the new shipment of wax gets here soon," she fretted around lunchtime. "If this show goes well, we may very well have more customers coming. It's always a good thing to get people interested in art, Yami. It's a great stress release and a great way to express yourself."

Yami nodded dutifully, stuffing the twenties, fifties, and hundred dollar bills they'd gotten that morning into the lock box that was kept beneath the till. He locked the box and then the till in preparation for shutting the store down for the lunch hour.

"Of course, I would also like some more money coming in." She sighed. "Opening up this second store wasn't nearly as profitable as I was hoping it was going to be. Even the original Fine Art World in Osaka isn't doing as much business as it used to. Or maybe my cousin just isn't running it as well as I'd hoped he would."

Yami nodded again, half-listening. The wide-branching family tree of Annie Kuramori seemed to contain innumerable cousins. This particular cousin was not a brother or husband to Phyllis of the Motorside Inn and he lost track of her various family members as soon as she spoke of a new one. And Annie wasn't even half as forthcoming about her relations as Phyllis had been.

"Oh!" She stopped him when he started to go around the counter to head for the front door. "Wait a minute. My grandmother visited from Sapporo and she makes the finest miso soup and teriyaki grill you've ever tasted. Plus, I've just got to get started on moving my pieces to the art gallery on Broad. What do you say? Overtime and a free meal if you help me through lunch."

Yami hesitated before smiling and agreeing. He knew part of her reason for asking him was that she would need him for some heavy lifting. George was far too old to be doing it and Annie was too weak.

"Excellent. You're a lifesaver, Yami. Come on, my house is just a few blocks up."

They closed the shop and walked up to Annie's Domino home. Apparently she wasn't doing as badly as she said she was, considering she had a house in Domino and an apartment in Osaka.

Annie's house was a two-storied construction that reminded Yami of the American lego blocks he'd once seen being sold at the Kame Game shop in the children's section. It was an oddly shaped structure of an upside-down L-shape on the ground floor and a sharply-cornered U-shape on the top floor. The wings of the U overhung the bar of the L on either side, and were supported in midair by three-apiece braces of steel connecting from the sides of the L-bar to the undersides of the U-wings. And then there was the coloring. The front door was vivid yellow set on a pale mint-green front wall of the house, which was the narrow, blunt end of the L's bar. The shutters of the only window were deep purple. The top bar of the L, which appeared to be the garage the driveway was leading to, was painted an as vivid yellow as the front door, while the metal sliding door of the car bay was blinding white. The inside walls of the U on the second story were bright blue with two windows that faced each other shuttered with a much paler shade of sky blue. When Yami tilted his head to see the outside walls of the L and U, he saw that the L remained mint green throughout up to the garage area but the U turned barn red with forest green shutters on the four windows that lined each bar.

Annie's house was even more flamboyant than she was.

"Do you like it?" she asked when she saw him staring at it. "I had it custom built. Makes quite the statement, doesn't it?"

"Yes." Though Yami had no idea what that statement was supposed to be.

"Ooh, that old bat."

Startled, Yami turned to look at her and saw that she was looking at the house to the left of her own. He followed her gaze to see a wizened old woman peering at them from between the curtains of her front window. She glared at them and let the curtains fall again.

"That's Mrs. Hosoi. She thinks my house makes the whole neighborhood look bad. I tell her to mind her own business."

Yami wisely kept his mouth shut.

Annie led him up to the wince-inducing banana yellow door and unlocked it. Yami stepped inside with her, wondering what he was going to find on the inside. But surprisingly, the inside of the house was fairly tame to the outside. Every wall was painted a soft peach color, bordered by dark wood molding and accented with dark wood doors and window frames. The floor was hard wood, a honey-colored wood that contrasted nicely with the darker wood of the borders.

The front door opened up into a long hallway that made up the inside of the L's main bar, and on either side of the hallway were intermittent displays of art, from paintings on the walls to tables of vases to full-sized statues. Somehow the placing was pleasing rather than cluttered. Like a well designed art exhibit, which was no surprise.

The hallway ended mid-way down the bar and when Annie pushed open the double doors at the end of it, Yami saw the rest of the main bar consisted of the sitting room. The walls remained their peach color along with the dark wood molding, but the hardwood floor gave way to thick carpet that was a mix of light and dark greens. The furniture, however, was now all honey-colored wood, from the legs of the couch to the coffee table to the TV stand. On the wall opposite the double doors that opened from the hallway was a sliding glass door. It showed a view of the backyard, which was completely fenced in and featured a single, large old tree from which hung various windchimes of mediums from silverware to shells.

The house took it's turn to the smaller bar of the L, but Yami saw the entire thing wasn't occupied by the garage. On a single step up was a kitchenette, made up of the honey-colored wood and stainless steel. Annie went up that step while Yami remained standing in the living room, unsure of what to do.

"Come on up here, honey. I don't have a dining room, just this big counter and its stools."

Yami walked up and saw that the counter that came out from the wall and nearly bisected the kitchen from the living room had three barstools on the other side of it, each of which had midnight blue vinyl cushions on their tops. He perched obediently on the outermost one, watching Annie go over to the refrigerator and pull out the miso soup and teriyaki grill she had promised. She began heating both up on the stove with a pot and pan that were maroon red.

"Oh, there's my babies."

Yami looked up to see three cats trotting down from a staircase he hadn't noticed before. It went up from the end of the wall near the sliding glass door and took a turn to the left to follow the wall of the L as it ascended, in order to stop at whatever point of the U it ended at.

The cats consisted of two black cats, one solid and the other with white forepaws and diamond-shape on its forehead, and the third a grey cat that looked like its fur had the texture of velvet. All three cats were short-haired and green-eyed and not a one paused at the sight of Yami. In fact, the grey one came right over and leapt up into his lap while the two black cats went over to Annie and began rubbing on her legs.

Yami lightly stroked his hand along the back of the grey cat, finding its fur to be very soft. Annie picked up three ceramic bowls from a mat on the floor and filled them up with water before taking three more and filling them with cat food.

"She isn't bothering you, is she? Most people don't like having my cats just jump on them. But she seems to like you."

"I like cats," Yami said truthfully. They were, after all, the children of one of his goddesses. "What is her name?"

"That bold thing is Millie and these two sisters down here are Midnight--the all-black one--and Star. I know, not the most original names."

"I wouldn't have thought of Millie for the grey one."

Annie laughed and took the heated food off the burners, placing it onto clean plates, which she set on the counter in front of Yami. Millie started to sneak one of the teriyaki pieces of grilled chicken and Annie snatched her off of Yami's lap, reprimanding her with a voice that held no scolding before setting her on the floor with the other cats.

"I also have a dog. See?"

Yami craned his neck to look out from the sliding glass door. He hadn't seen the dog before, but now there was a golden retriever sitting patiently on the back patio.

"That's Belle. And my birds and fish are upstairs. I have a lot of pets, but animals are great companions and great inspirations for the art world, particularly in fashion."

Yami smiled, realizing he was getting a more in-depth look at his boss' character than he ever had before. Somehow, in this leggo-blocks house, she didn't seem quite as odd and out-of-place as she did in the real world.

"So, how is that teriyaki grill?" she asked after they'd finished the soup and started on the meat.

"Delicious. Your grandmother is a very good cook."

Annie smiled fondly at him. "Ah, Yami dear, why couldn't I have had a son like you?"

"You do have a son?" he asked.

Unlike Phyllis, Annie didn't always talk about her family and he'd never heard her say anything about children or even a husband. In answer to his question, her smile faltered and she shook her head, turning her attention to Millie, who was pawing hopefully at her leg. The cat decided to forego politeness and hopped up into her lap. Annie stroked her fur before feeding her a small bite of the chicken.

"No, I don't," she said. "Years ago, I thought I'd have all of that, a husband and some kids. I had a fiancee my last year at college, but... Well, it didn't work out."

Yami didn't ask why. It was not his business to inquire about her personal life and this was obviously something painful. However, she wasn't done.

"But it went all right in the end. I went on to the Boston Fine Arts College out in America and opened up my stores and now I'm doing okay."

Yami nodded, looking out towards the dog, Belle, who was still sitting with timeless patience at the door. Annie put Millie down on the floor, then picked up Star. She fed her a piece of chicken, then did the same for Midnight, being completely fair to all her cats.

"I am sorry I never had any kids, though. I'm forty-six now, and my time's run out. But if I'd had a child, I'd like to think he would have been as good a man as you are, honey."

Yami looked up at her and smiled a little. She really was a nice woman, just a little off. He was sorry for her, that she'd never had the child she wished she'd had. He supposed that was the real reason she had all these pets.

Annie got up and went around the counter, opening the door to allow the golden retriever to come in. The dog immediately went to investigate Yami, sniffing at his shoes and then looking up, wagging her tail. Yami reached down and lightly patted her on the head. He didn't like dogs as much as cats, but a good, well-behaved dog was something to enjoy.

"Well, my animals just like you, don't they?" Annie said, coming back around the corner and picking up the plate that had erstwhile held the teriyaki grill. There was still a strip of chicken left and she tipped the plate, allowing the chicken to slide off into the dog's bowl, set across the kitchen from the cats'. The dog went over to the bowl, snapping up the chicken with enthusiasm, wagging her tail so fast that Yami could hear the 'thump, thump' from where he was sitting.

"Well, on to work," Annie said after a few minutes. "We'll do light stuff until our food settles. But you've got to earn that overtime, honey."

Yami got up and followed her up the stairs to the second floor of the house. This was the U and the stairs came up to where the east wing started to curve around to join the west wing. Yami looked with interest, seeing that the pattern of peach walls and hard wood had not been continued up here. The walls were instead wallpapered with blue-and-silver paper that was slightly shiny, like present wrapping. The carpet was lush and solid black. The darkness of the decor was tempered by the fact that every six feet boasted a window, letting in light from outside.

Between the windows were hung many paintings, mostly of flowers and landscapes. At both corners of the U-shape were identical wooden pedastals holding identical sculptures of birds taking off from the ground into flight. Yami thought they were supposed to be eagles, except their feathers were neon blue, their beaks and talons a pinkish-purple, and their eyes scarlet with yellow pupils. As odd as the outside of the house.

"Over there to the left, the west, is my bed and bath," Annie said. "But over here to the right is my studio. Every piece of art you've seen in this house, I've made myself, here in this room."

She walked forward, along the east wing hallway. About ten feet from the end, the tip of the wing of the U, there was a door, already open. Stepping through the doorway, Yami saw that the carpet had ended onto more hardwood, this a beautiful, reddish wood. With windows on either side, the space was very bright and cheery.

All across the floor were more pieces of art. There were two statues, life-sized. One was of a woman in a wedding gown, holding a bouquet in her hands, but with her face downturned towards the side and her body twisted slightly, exuding a very melancholy air. Yami didn't look at it for long, remembering Annie's story and wondering if the statue had very personal significance.

The other statue was of a leopard, standing on a fallen log, seeming to be stalking something just out of sight. The detail of the leopard was exquisite. Though without color, the leopard had visible muscles, spots, even fur. And the log had texture and bark. Annie must have spent hours on the piece.

There were stands and shelves containing vases of various sizes, shapes, and colors. They were made of porcelain, clay, and even glass. He wondered how she'd made them here.

"I have a kiln in the basement," Annie said as if reading his mind. "My house is an entire art factory. See here, this is a dumb-waiter elevator I use to move the pieces down to the basement and back up."

"They're beautiful," Yami said, studying a particular vase that was about three feet high. It was made of glass, wonderfully twisted and ribbed, like a tubular flower. It had alternating bands of red, blue, and purple, with pin stripes of clear glass between the bands of color. It amazed him how she could have made it.

"Thank you. I've got six pieces to showcase. These two paintings--"

She pointed to a pair of paintings that seemed to be of the same mountainous landscape, bisected in half by the frames, which stretched the mountain and lake scene to twice its normal length. But the scene wasn't just stretched, but also warped in color. The rock of the mountain was neon blue, like the birds in the hallway, and the lake was a disturbing orange. The trees had bright yellow trunks and solid black leaves. The sky was red and the grass was white. They were very strange.

"--that clock there--"

The clock was, in fact, inoperative as Annie didn't have the knowledge to make a working one, but was interesting in its fashion. It was asymmetrical in shape, bright purple with deep blue-and-scarlet trim and neon green numerals and hands. It appeared to be made out of clay, glazed until it shone, and decorated across the purple base color with silver flowers on gold vines with gold leaves.

"--that vase that's a serpent crawling up the tree trunk, the pegasus statue, and the bride statue. See why I needed your help, Yami? That bride is going to be heavy."

"We'll manage."

Annie picked up the two paintings while Yami carefully picked up the pegasus statue. It was about two feet high and half again long, with a black body, silver horn and hooves, and scarlet mane and tail. The eyes were pale blue. It was extremely heavy for its size.

"Bet you've never seen a black unicorn before," Annie said as they headed downstairs and outside. On the drive in front of the garage was a van. "They're usually white, but I never was one for the norm."

Yami hadn't seen any unicorns before, ever, knowing only what they were supposed to be because of Yugi. There were no legends of unicorns in Egypt.

The van had no back seats and Annie already had many strips of felt in various sizes to cushion the pieces. Yami wrapped the unicorn up with the utmost care and set it on the floor behind the front passenger seat. Annie wrapped up her paintings and set them together behind the driver's side door.

They returned for the other items. Annie was right, the bride statue was very heavy. Yami carried the majority of the weight at the base of the statue, while Annie helped him by carrying the statue at its head. Soon all of the pieces were loaded into the van and they drove off to the art gallery. They unloaded the pieces and the exhibit's owner directed them to the room where Annie would show them. They set them up as Annie wanted and then she turned to Yami, smiling at him brightly.

"Thanks for your help, honey. I'll be sure to add in the overtime into your paycheck."

They returned to the store and Yami finished his shift. It was five and he had an hour before he needed to go and meet Kaiba, so he went home.

The apartment was empty still, but there was a note on the kitchen counter from Yugi. He'd come home and gone out again, to meet Dr. Miller for his appointment at one, and then to an interview he had at three. Yami hoped the session went well with Dr. Miller even more than he hoped Yugi got the job.

As he was fixing himself a light dinner before going to Kaiba Corp. Joey came home.

"Shadow!"

Yami jumped at Joey's loud voice, barely noticing the use of the old nickname Joey hadn't called him in months. Joey came into the kitchen and Yami's heart leapt at the ear-to-ear grin he had on his face. Joey crossed the kitchen in several long strides and startled Yami further by grabbing him by the hips and lifting him right up to spin him around and then set him on the counter.

"Joey, what is it?" Yami asked breathlessly.

Joey laughed heartily at Yami. He rested his hands on the counter on either side of Yami's legs and continued to grin. He seemed almost giddy.

"I talked to the doc. I thought I knew all about this and was too damn bull-headed to ask. And he told me that even though there's no cure, and though it can become AIDS anywhere from forty years to only six months--" Here his smile faltered for a few seconds and his gloomy expression returned, but then he brought the smile back. "I'm not as contagious as I thought I was. The doc says you guys could pretty much only get it from me from blood or, you know, sex." Joey shrugged his shoulders.

"Does that mean you'll stay with us? Neither of us want you to leave."

"You haven't told Yug', have you?"

"No. You told me not to and so I haven't."

Joey nodded, looking brooding for a second. "No, I won't leave. I love you guys."

Yami smiled. "We love you, too." He hesitated before saying, "What about Yugi?"

Joey shook his head. "I don't know. I still think it would be too much of a risk. Give me some time to think, okay?"

Yami nodded in understanding. No matter what precautions Joey took, the possibility was still there, and they shouldn't pretend otherwise. But the fact that Joey seemed to have a better outlook on his situation was good enough.

"Anyway, I'm gonna go take a shower."

"All right. I'll be leaving here in a few minutes."

"Oh. Hot date?" Joey grinned teasingly.

"No. Just work." A lie, but not so much of one. He wasn't getting paid anymore, but he was still doing 'jobs' for Takanawa by way of Kaiba.

"Oh. I thought you already had a shift. Is this that gallery thing she's got going on Friday?"

Yami just smiled. He couldn't lie if he didn't open his mouth. Joey smiled back, then leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. Yami was glad to see that Joey felt secure to touch them once again. Since he'd found out about his illness he'd acted like he couldn't even breathe on the pair of them.

While Joey went to the back of the apartment to the bathroom, Yami finished cooking the grilled cheese sandwich he'd made for his dinner. He ate it and then headed out for Kaiba Corp.

tbc…


	70. Chapter 70

Chapter Seventy:

Seto woke before the sun had risen on the thirtieth of April. Though he hadn't gone to bed even six hours before, he couldn't sleep. Surely by now Takanawa knew what had happened to Katana and he wondered why he hadn't called yet or made an attempt on Seto's life. Seto half-expected the sound of squealing tires to herald a barrage of molotov cocktails being thrown through his windows. Takanawa's penchant for silence following events was as distressing as it was irritating.

But Seto wasn't going to roll over and show his belly, no matter what Takanawa threatened him with. Mokuba and Marianne were still safely out of harm's way, so the man had nothing to hold over him. Seto had no fear of bodily harm or even death coming to him, though he'd try his hardest not to allow either to occur.

Maybe they were going at this the wrong way. Yami's magick was proving to be less effective than he was trying to sell it as. In fact, his magick never really had seemed to stop bad guys from doing things like kidnapping Yugi left and right. Bakura, Marik, and Dartz had all succeeded in doing that, and Pegasus and the Big Five had stolen the souls of other people around him, even if they'd all eventually fallen before him. Takanawa and his goons seemed to have sheer dumb luck on their side, with the exception of Hans, and Seto needed to come up with something else other than following Yami around.

He sat on the edge of his bed, brooding for nearly an hour before he blew out his breath and got to his feet, deciding that Fate was rather forcing his hand. He liked to think he had control over his own fate, but for now, he'd go with what he'd been given. Maybe that was the essence of controlling his own destiny, reacting to make it what he wanted rather than expecting it to just be what he wanted.

Kaiba Corp. had once been the maker of weapons. Seto hated weapons. He hated having to have guns in his house. And Gozaburo Kaiba had done the work of the devil.

But it looked like the CEO of Kaiba Corp. was once again going to be the maker of weapons.

Seto took no time for breakfast, just took a short shower and dressed before being driven out to Kaiba Corp's biggest laboratory. His personal lab in the basement of his mansion wasn't going to be big enough and it was time to utilize all that he had at his disposal.

He got to the lab at seven-thirty. The employees were quite surprised, and nervous, to see him there. He knew what they were thinking, what had they done to warrant the boss showing up only a half-hour after the work day started? Seto ordered them all out, giving them a paid holiday, to himself complete privacy. Once he was alone, he began gathering all the tools and components available and spread them out on the largest worktable.

The unfortuante truth of reality was that what made weapons and what made toys were really the same things. All that differed was the way they were used. And ammunition.

But running into Takanawa's compound waving guns and hand-grenades was only going to get himself turned to bloody swiss cheese courtesy of cop-killer bullets. What he needed was to be sneaky and underhanded. Which he could do.

It was time to see if he was good enough to make a robo-dog as he thought he was.

Seto got straight to work, using everything from the souldering gun to the injection-mold. More than four hours after sitting down at the work-station he had the basic inner core of the dog made. Four legs complete with hinged joints, spring-loaded 'muscles' and tension-rod 'tendons'. Rods and screws and molded plastic parts and the skeleton of a dog stood on the tabletop.

Only his stomach complaining quite unrelentingly for food made him stop. Leaving the dog where it was, he pulled his trenchcoat back on and headed out into the grey, overcast day. His driver came to pick him up as called and drive him to his favorite five-star restaurant in downtown Domino. Seto ate a quick lunch then immediately headed back to the lab.

Wires and circuits and now the dog had a neuro-synaptic system. Now it would walk and turn its head and wag its damn little tail.

Seto pulled his protective face mask down once again and souldered a wire into place, finishing off the complicated circuitry of the animal. Now it needed skin and eyes.

Seto poured hot liquid plastic into the moulds he'd carved and began making the fur parts that would fit like armor over the skeleton to make the dog more realistic. He made sure to copy his memory of Takanawa's kid's robo-mutt precisely. Blue-plastic 'fur' and the overall shape of a German shepherd.

Seto had gotten barely half of the dog's outer shell finished when he glanced at his watch. It was half past three and Yami was going to be coming to Kaiba Corp. at six. Seto should just call him and tell him not to bother, but basic tactical knowledge warned him it would be best to use everything in his arsenal, just in case, and Yami might still have his uses. At the very least, going ghost was a handy trick.

But first, he decided to go visit Mokuba and Marianne. He hadn't talked to his brother since the twentieth, and he needed to check in on them.

Seto went out to Kaiba Corp. and to the hangar where the Blue Eyes White Jet was parked. He would fly out to the island. He wasn't concerned about being followed. While it would have been a concern if he had been driving, it was nearly impossible to tail someone while flying. The only likelihood of being tracked was for the Jet to have a tracer in it like the dog did, but he didn't expect that. The Jet was locked up in a chamber which had a code only Seto knew.

The flight went smoothly and Seto touched down in the clearing of the island at noon. The island was very different in April than it had been in January. The grass was emerald green and thick, the multitude of trees adding miscellaneous greens to the picture. The sun beamed down pleasantly warm, and the whole area smelled clean and fresh. Mokuba appeared on the front porch of the cabin, watching the Jet power down. Seto had called ahead, so he hadn't surprised them, but he could see from the look on Mokuba's face that he was worried.

"Hi, Big Brother," he said when he'd crossed the lawn and Seto had vaulted out of the Jet.

"Hello, Mokuba. How are things going?"

"Fine. Marianne's getting a little worried, though." Mokuba hesitated, then added, "She doesn't want to have the baby here."

Seto bit his tongue against the response dying to get out. She wasn't due to have the baby until August, three months from then. If Seto couldn't get this resolved in three months, he never would. Of course, it had already been going on since September and it was now the last day of April, so maybe her fears were grounded.

"Don't get upset," Mokuba said, well able to read Seto's expressions. "She doesn't mean it. It's nervous mother syndrome."

Seto changed the subject. He filled Mokuba in on his new plan to be rid of Takanawa, and Mokuba listened intently. When he was finished, he nodded his head.

"That's dangerous," he said finally.

"I know. But it might be the best idea I've had yet."

Mokuba nodded again. "That's true. It is a good idea. Just seems so hard to pull off."

"I'll manage."

Mokuba looked up at Seto with an anxious expression. "Do you need help?"

Seto shook his head, beginning to walk towards the cabin. "No. Mokuba, I want you to stay here. If you're here, then all my attention is on Takanawa."

Mokuba sighed, but agreed. Seto knew he wanted to help because he was worried, he was bored, and he wanted to feel like he was useful. Growing up with all of the problems Kaiba Corp. had come across, he hadn't had much chance to be useful aside from occasionally gathering information. Most of the time he'd been at the mercy of the enemy and no help at all. But Seto was not going to be responsible for putting his brother in jeopardy. If anything went wrong, all he wanted to be responsible for was his own death, not leaving a new bride without a husband and a new baby without a father.

"Have you named him yet?" Seto asked as they mounted the stairs of the cabin.

Before Mokuba could answer, the screen door opened and Marianne appeared in the doorway. She was wearing a simple blue dress, relatively still form-fitting. At just past the six-month mark, she was getting big, but still no where near big enough to be forced to where nothing but loose clothes. She would get there.

"Hello, Seto," she said with a smile, stepping back as the two brothers came in. "How have you been?"

"I'm fine, Marianne. You?"

"Good. I'm doing really good right now." She led them into the living room. "The island is a very nice place, I have to admit. I'll bet the fresh air is a lot better for the baby than the air of England anyway."

"You won't be here much longer."

Marianne looked at him with a concerned question in her eyes, but she didn't ask it. Neither Seto nor Mokuba made to tell her of the new developments. Seto doubted a person of Marianne's kind disposition would exactly agree with what he planned on doing, not even to end this whole thing. It was not going to be pretty and it was more than a little under-handed. Seto could see no alternative.

"Oh."

"I did pick a name for him," Mokuba said. Marianne suddenly smiled and nodded, sitting down on the couch. Mokuba sat beside her and put his arm around her shoulders. Seto sat down in the armchair across from them. "I chose Hideaki."

Seto nodded his head. "A good choice."

"I love it," Marianne said. "Hideaki Kaiba. It works."

It did. Seto was glad Mokuba had finally chosen a name he was happy with. And it did make it even more real, now that the baby had a name. Hideaki Kaiba was now a person, name attached, and would be arriving in the world in only three months.

"I pretty much came just to see how you were doing," Seto said. "I've got a couple of people bringing some more supplies and they should be here in an hour. I'll stick around until then."

He was doing so because he couldn't be certain that Takanawa wouldn't somehow find out about the supply ship and try and get one of his people in on it to find out where Mokuba and Marianne were. He would stay, make sure the people were who they were supposed to be, and then leave. The supplies were only for just in case purposes. He wasn't planning on the two them needing the extra food.

Still, he didn't know how long they were going to be here. Even with his new plan in motion, he wasn't going to be able to start it off for at least another week. The length of time was pissing him off, but he knew better than to push something this delicate.

To do this, he was going to need to need to do something perhaps just as dangerous as standing up to Takanawa.

After the supplies had arrived, Seto got back in his Jet and returned home, arriving at the Kaiba Corp. building at a quarter of five and had his personal secretary send someone to get take-out from a nearby restaurant for him to eat. It was delivered only ten minutes later and he ate it quickly at his desk while he waited for Yami to arrive. Once he was there, he'd take him with him back to the warehouse, finish the dog, and see where the time stood. If it was still fairly early, Seto would drive them out to Takanawa's address--hopefully he wouldn't have moved again--and then Yami would do his invisibility thing and sneak the new dog into the property.

Once it was there, Takanawa was going to get a nasty surprise.

The phone rang. Seto looked at it, then answered it. He'd known this was coming.

"Takanawa. Did Katana make it home okay?"

There was a short pause. "What do you take me for, kiddo?" Takanawa asked. His voice was trembling with barely-surpressed anger.

"I take you for a man I'm going to take down, no matter how long it takes."

Takanawa growled over the phone. Then something indefinable changed and Seto tensed.

"Katana did tell me something interesting about his encounter with you, though," Takanawa went on, now sounding utterly calm. Seto heard a soft creaking and knew the sound well enough to pick it out as a man lounging back in a leather desk chair. He had one himself.

"So the bastard has a voice?"

Takanawa ignored the interruption. He probably recognized it for what it was, an attempt to distract from whatever insidious thing was on his mind.

"He told me that you've got yourself a partner. I should have suspected as much. I always did wonder how you managed to pull every heist off. You're not superhuman, after all, no matter how big an ego you've got."

Seto looked down at the table. Of course, why hadn't he thought of that? Katana had seen Yami. He'd fought with him. And of course he would have told Takanawa about him. Yami was now in danger, for real. Takanawa would kill him for the sheer fun of it.

"Speechless, kiddo? Didn't think I'd find out something else to use against you? Your brother and his wife might be out of my reach, but your little friend isn't. I'm surprised you have any friends, but it's good news. For me."

"What makes you think doing anything to him would have any effect on me?"

"Oh, no? Well, it might still be fun to see how many pieces I can put him in. If you don't care, I'll just do it sometime this weekend, not bother you."

Seto glared at the desk top. He knew Takanawa meant it. He'd do it just for fun.

"That work for you?" Takanawa asked. "All right. I guess I'll get Shin to--"

"What do you want?"

Takanawa chuckled smugly. "I'm really rather angry with you. Maybe I'll have Katana skin your little buddy just to teach you a lesson. Really sink in the message."

Seto said nothing. It didn't matter what he said. He knew Takanawa would ultimately do what he wanted to do. Except Takanawa didn't want him to stay silent.

"Say something, kiddo. It's all up to you. You like having people's lives in your hands, don't you?"

"I don't think anything I say is going to make a difference. You'll kill him no matter what."

"That's true."

"So what do you want me to say?"

"Good, good. That's exactly my point. You'll say what *I* want you to say, do what *I* want you to do. So, now I'll just have to think of what I want you to do now. That money Katana was supposed to pick up doesn't really interest me anymore. I'll be getting back to you in a couple of days. So when I do, you'll say 'yes, sir' got it?"

Seto growled softly. "Yes, sir."

Takanawa laughed heartily over the phone. "Good boy. See you soon."

Seto hung up the phone, then smiled. Takanawa was a fool. Seto had spent more time than he cared to admit just doing what he wanted to keep him happy. Because he'd been afraid of him. He was ashamed of that fact, but he was over it now. Screw Takanawa. He didn't care if he pissed him off. It was on now. Seto was not going to give up his plan just because Takanawa was upset Katana had been overcome.

A knock came to his office door. His secretary opened it and peeked in. "Mr. Moto is here to see you, sir."

Seto nodded and got to his feet. The secretary leaned back and opened the door further. Yami walked in, surprising Seto by the fact that he was holding the katana in his hands. The secretary looked at him with a confused, almost frightened look and beat a hasty exit. Aside from the katana, Yami also had the Rod in his belt, the Puzzle and Ring around his neck, plus his goth-punk style. Seto was used to his appearance, but he supposed to someone who didn't know him, he must have made quite the uncertain sight.

"Why do you have that thing?" Seto demanded.

Yami held up the katana and looked down at it. "Katana will want it back." He looked up and a cruel smile spread over his face. "I intend to give it back to him."

Again with the murderous streak. Seto remembered very vividly the Yami that Yugi had unleashed from the Puzzle. He'd thought his more violent impulses had been tamed by Yugi, but apparently they were back. While that was a good thing in this case, Seto was beginning to wonder if it wasn't only Yugi who was teetering on the verge of a breakdown.

"When shall we go?" Yami asked.

"We're not." Seto walked around his desk and stood in front of it, leaning back against it and folding his arms over his chest. "Go home."

Yami looked surprised. "Why?"

"I'm doing this my own way from now on. I don't need you."

Yami's surprise was now tinged with anger. "Why are you saying this suddenly?"

"It's not suddenly. I told you last night you're no help to me."

The anger was rising rapidly now. Yami folded his own arms across his chest, the katana still held in his right hand. He stepped forward a few steps until he was a couple inches away, looking up at Seto with narrowed eyes.

"You did, and then you asked me to be here at six and here I am."

Seto shrugged his shoulders dismissively. "I changed my mind, didn't I? I never should have gone to you, anyway. I can handle things myself like I always have and you're just dragging me down."

"I saved your life last night," Yami said through clenched teeth.

Seto nodded his head. "Uh-huh. But it wouldn't have needed saving if you could actually be of any use. 'Oh, I can use my dark magick to take over their minds! Whoops, guess I was wrong. Again.' Like you always are."

Yami's eyes narrowed dangerously as Seto mocked him. Seto only smirked at him.

"I've got another plan," he said. "One in which you're not included. I'm tired of you, anyway, runt. So get lost."

Yami unfolded his arms and slammed the katana down hard lengthwise on the desk. It made a loud crash on the wood top. Seto didn't move away, even though the sheathed sword nearly touched him, not flinching at the noise. He already knew Yami had a temper, a temper that had become more and more violent the last few months.

"Fine," Yami snapped. "Do whatever the hell you want to do, Kaiba. You're not paying me anymore, so I no longer have any obligation to help you." He then said something in Egyptian that was the equivalent of 'fuck you.'

Yami turned on his heel and stalked out. Seto watched him go, then turned and walked to the window. He stood and looked down, waiting. Finally he saw Yami exit the Kaiba Corp. front doors fifteen stories down and stride down the sidewalk, out of sight.

He turned away from the window and gathered his coat and briefcase. Heading downstairs, he called for his limo and had his driver take him back to the warehouse where the dog was. He sat down at the desk and started back on finishing it. By eight o'clock, the dog was complete and standing on the desk. It looked exactly like the first one.

Next came the remote control. Seto finished it, then programmed it to the dog's frequency. By now it was almost midnight, but Seto did not stop. He made sure the dog was working exactly as he wanted it to, obeying the commands of the remote control. Once that was finished, he added in some extras. A camera in the dog's right eye. A microphone in its snout. A tracker in the belly casing. Each of which was wired to corresponding areas in the remote control. Now he could see what the dog saw, hear what was going on, and of course track the dog if something happened.

Seto scrubbed his hand over his face before looking at his cell phone's clock again. It was half past one and he was exhausted and dirty. He called for his driver and went home, immediately getting a shower. He hated being dirty, even though he'd forgotten how much fun hands-on work was. He should do it more often. He liked to build things.

Once he was clean and dry, he got into some fresh pajamas and crawled into bed. As he lay on his back, hands resting on his stomach, and waiting for sleep to come to him, he thought of Yami. He'd been quite angry. Seto didn't think he'd be talking to him anytime soon, and that was good. He'd said some nasty things the night before as well as earlier that evening.

What would he say if he knew Seto had only said what he'd said in order to keep him safe?

******

The next morning, Seto woke and contemplated when he should take the new dog to Takanawa's. Without Yami, it was definitely going to be harder. Yami would have been able to sneak the dog right into the house, and without him, Seto would have to try and do it himself.

First, he had other things he needed to do first. The dog-plan wasn't finished. And what Seto needed now wasn't going to be easy to get. He wasn't even sure exactly how he should go about getting it.

The phone ringing made him look over at it with dread and anger. Takanawa again, telling him what he wanted him to do now. Just another thief job, no doubt. Something grander and maybe more difficult than the bank job, to make up for what he'd done before.

Seto picked it up. "Hello."

"Well, good morning, kid!" Takanawa said cheerfully. "How'd you sleep?"

"What do you want me to do, Takanawa?"

"You never were much for pleasant small-talk. All right. I've thought long and hard about it and I'm quite sure I decided something that not only can you do, but something that will make me very happy."

"I'm ecstatic. What is it?"

Takanawa chuckled over the phone. "I've chosen something you've never done before. At least, I don't think you have."

Seto bit his tongue to keep from blowing up on him for playing this game. He needed to walk the line right now until he had the upperhand. And he was also a little apprehensive. Something he had never done before? Therefore it wasn't stealing something, so what was it that would make Takanawa happy?

"You've had your share of less-than-moral activities under your belt, haven't you?" Takanawa continued. "You're a chief executive officer, so I'm sure you have. Maybe dodging some certain regulations to get your products out and getting them sold. Maybe bending some rules to get rid of the competition. I know for a fact you have, since I've done my homework. And you can add thievery to the list. And now you'll be adding another."

Seto growled, his patience threatening to snap. "What?"

"Murder."

tbc…

A/N: :-O


	71. Chapter 71

Chapter Seventy-One:

Yami stalked down the sidewalk, growling. How dare Kaiba throw him out that way, insult him that way? Who did he think he was? Yami had taken all this time to help him with his troubles only for Kaiba to treat him like dirt. Well, he was through with that.

As he was passing by the bar Kaiba had taken him to for drinks the other day, he changed his course and went inside. He'd blow off some steam before he went home to his friends. It wouldn't be fair to be in a bad mood when he got home.

The inside of the bar was fairly packed, which was a surprise considering it was a bar that generally did trade to businessmen and it was a Saturday. Yami went up to the barman and ordered a scotch before settling down on a bar stool at the very end of the bar counter. He sipped at his scotch, still fuming, going over and over in his mind what Kaiba had said and wondering why he had said it. If the truth were told, Yami was as much hurt as angry. He had been kidding himself that he was beginning to get some respect from Kaiba, maybe even some affection the last couple of times they had been together.

A derisive chuckle left his mouth as he downed the last of his drink. What a fool he was. Kaiba was still Kaiba, he still hated his guts, and he always would. Their encounters had been nothing but shallow and physcal. He should have expected no less.

"Don't know why I even care," he muttered to himself.

The bar tender gave him a look, before giving him another scotch. Yami started on that one as well, talking himself into forgetting all about Kaiba. Let him get this other plan underway and take the victory or the failure that was destined for him.

Yami was through his second scotch when a familiar, but concerned voice made him look up, though with none of his usual clarity.

"Shadow Flare?"

It was definitely Sentoryou. Yami had forgotten he frequented this bar. Swallowing his mouthful of scotch, Yami managed a faint smile to the older man. Sentoryou was looking at him with clear worry in his mismatched green-and-brown eyes.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Yami studied him for a minute. "I'm fine."

Sentoryou nodded, continuing to look at him. "You just looked really upset and you're guzzling scotch like water and I was just..." He drifted off and shrugged his shoulders. "Never mind, I'm sorry."

He started to turn away, then turned back, looking at him keenly. "Would you like to have a drink with me?"

So he was still intent on getting with Yami. Well, he had said he was a man who went after what he wanted until he got it. And Yami wasn't as against it as he'd once been; Sentoryou had turned out to be a nicer man than Yami had first thought. And though Yami hated to admit it, he was becoming lonely. His friends were absorbed in their own thing, and though he could very well understand it, that didn't change the fact that he was getting tired of running around trying to help everyone else and then still being brushed off. He was utterly ashamed of himself for feeling that way, but there it was. He didn't need gratitude or admiration, but he did want companionship in these difficult times.

"I'd be happy to," he said.

Sentoryou looked surprised. Clearly he'd been fully expecting another refusal. Then a bright smile spread across his face and he gestured to a table near the back corner, where the jacket to his suit was hung over the back of a chair and an empty highball glass rested. He must have seen Yami at the bar and got up and come over.

Yami stood up from his bar stool, realizing he was not that stable after two glasses of scotch, but he was far from being in trouble yet. And, like always when he drank hard, he was beginning to feel pretty good. Kaiba's harshness no longer stung as badly and the depression from watching his best friends' lives spiral out of control was lessening. It was a temporary sanctuary, but it was there. Part of him felt he should have more strength than this, should be able to handle this more. He prided himself on his inner strength, but this was not a fight. There was no enemy, no fixing it.

Sentoryou ordered two more highballs from the bar tender and then walked with him between the tables and chairs to his own in the back. He sat down in the chair with his jacket thrown over the back and Yami sat across from him. Sentoryou held out the second of the highball glasses to him and he accepted. Taking a drink, he found it to be very strong, which he didn't mind a bit.

"I must admit, I'm very surprised," Sentoryou said, taking a drink of his own. "You've been so adamant about not dating me before."

"This isn't actually a date," Yami said, then added, "but you're not my customer anymore."

Sentoryou smiled again. "I do miss your dancing, Shadow Flare. But I'm sure you had your reasons for quitting. As good as you were, I could always tell you weren't into it."

Yami took another drink. "No. Circumstances demanded it and we'll leave it at that."

Sentoryou nodded his head. He took another drink of his own and set the glass down on the tabletop. "Well, surprised or not, I'm glad. Like I said to you, I always get what I want." He smiled and winked the dual-colored eye. "Though it often turns out to be more luck than skill."

Yami chuckled, wondering if he would have found Sentoryou this engaging sober. He really was charming and handsome, just a little too old for Yami. How had Kaiba described him, 'trolling for jail-bait pole dancers?'

Thinking about Kaiba's nastiness made him as angry as hurt and he took a bigger swallow of his drink than he'd intended. It burned his throat and stomach, made his head swirl, but he felt better. Sentoryou signalled for fresh drinks to be brought out.

"I'm sure you've wondered why I still want to date you," he said. "Considering what happened before."

Yami knew he meant the time he'd drugged Sentoryou so Kaiba could steal his stuff. He nodded over the rim of his glass, but in all honesty he wasn't really concerned about that right now. He was getting to the point where he didn't care much about anything right at the moment. The fresh drinks were brought over by the tender and the empty glasses taken away.

"I was angry," Sentoryou admitted. "But, like I told you before, I doubt you were eager to do it. I could tell something was off at the time, but I was so happy to have you that I ignored my better instincts. And since you were acting under duress, I figured not only could I forget about it, but that there was nothing to forgive you about."

Yami smiled. Sentoryou really did have a crush, which was kind of nice as an idea. He wondered what it was about him that Sentoryou liked so well, since he knew nothing about him.

"I knew Kaiba made you do it."

Yami's smile faded and he said bitterly, "Kaiba had nothing to do with me at all, Sentoryou."

If he caught the implications of the statement, Sentoryou didn't show it, nor did he seemed surprised by the vehemence in Yami's voice. All he said was, "Good."

Yami took a drink from his fresh highball. Sentoryou did the same, then set the glass down.

"Actually, I'm quite through with all of that. I certainly don't want to talk about Kaiba. I was more hoping to learn a little bit more about you."

Yami was having difficulty thinking. He knew he couldn't tell Sentoryou the truth. Not only would he consider him demented, it wasn't smart or safe. But he was having trouble getting his mind to function properly and dodged the issue altogether instead.

"You first."

Sentoryou seemed disappointed, but then perked up. "All right. I was born in good, old Tokyo in 1962, but I spent most of my childhood in America before coming back to Japan when I was fourteen. I run a computer hardware maufacturing company based on Shikoku Island. Computers, all sorts of electronics, security systems, that kind of thing. But I don't need the money it makes. My parents are relatives of the imperial family."

Yami blinked in surprise. That was impressive. So Sentoryou was royalty--by association. Pity he couldn't tell him his own real origins. Though, of course, royalty in the modern day was little more than nominal compared to his past. But what was he going to tell him? He'd drunk far too much to be devious. In fact, if he didn't stop soon, he was probably going to pass out. He'd make this drink his last, he decided.

"I have four sisters and a brother," Sentoryou went on. A smile crossed his face and his eyes sparkled. "I like books, the color red, and my shoe size is 11."

Realizing through the fog of inebriation that Sentoryou was deliberating making a bad joke, Yami laughed, a bit too loudly. Sentoryou's smile flickered a little--no doubt he realized Yami was drinking too much. Cutting off the laugh, Yami apologized.

"I'm an only child," he admitted.

"Oh. I can't imagine what that must be like. There were always children under foot growing up. I'm the oldest."

"I had a cousin I didn't meet until I was 12," Yami went on, swirling the last third of his highball in its glass. "And I didn't find out he was related to me until I was grown."

"Why?" Sentoryou seemed puzzled.

"His father sent him and his mother away when he was a baby and when he came back, he didn't tell him his origins."

Yami knew he should keep his mouth shut. Though he hadn't made any real reference to his past, he couldn't seem to stop himself from talking. The effects of alcohol always loosened the tongue.

"That's a mean thing to do. A man should own up about his children."

Yami smiled and managed to keep his mouth shut about why Aknadin had done that particular thing.

"Do you like to read?" Sentoryou asked.

"Yes. I like philosophy."

"Oh, those types of books! I think a good thought-provoking book is the best thing a man can read. Kant, Rousseau, Hume, Leibniz. I believe my favorite is Nietzche."

Yami nodded, which did nothing to help his swirling head. Somehow he managed to remember some names. "I prefer the older stuff. Aristotle and Plato, Socrates, Pythagoras."

"Ah, an ancient mind, hmm?"

Yami smiled secretively. "You could say that."

"Philosophy is good. Though I do like a good mystery." Sentoryou chuckled and took another drink. "What else, Shadow Flare?"

The two of them continued to chat for nearly another hour. Yami drained the last of his second highball and noticed that Sentoryou made no move to order another. He probably thought Yami had had enough. Swallowing the mouthful of alcohol, Yami dimly considered whether he was going to fall off his chair or not. It turned out not and he was grateful for that.

"Maybe we should get out of here," Sentoryou was saying.

Yami was happy to agree. Sentoryou got to his feet and took Yami's arm when he got to his, like he thought Yami was going to fall over. Though he was very drunk, Yami managed to keep his footing. He snickered for no reason and allowed Sentoryou to steer him out of the bar. The more rational part of his mind buried beneath the alcohol was appalled at his behavior, but he ignored it. Sentoryou was nice and he was feeling better.

Sentoryou led him to his limo that was already out on the curb. He must have signalled for it somehow. Yami got into it without the slightest hesitation, having more difficulty than normal, but amused by that fact. He settled into the soft, white leather seat, chuckling. Sentoryou followed him and sat beside him, shutting the door and the limo took off.

"Thank you for the drinks," Yami said.

"You're welcome. I'm quite pleased you gave me the chance to buy them."

Yami looked at him for a minute. Sentoryou looked back at him, then leaned down and pressed a kiss to his lips. Yami did not push him away, but tentatively kissed him back. Sentoryou seemed encouraged and wrapped his arms around Yami's waist, pulling him up against him. Yami wound his arms around Sentoryou's neck and deepened the kiss, opening his mouth. Sentoryou eagerly pushed his tongue inside, mapping out his mouth. Yami moaned, meeting his tongue with his own, realizing he was in the same position he'd been months ago with a whole, new twist: he was enjoying it.

Sentoryou's hands ran down his back over his shirt before he pulled back. Yami opened his eyes, smiling, then shoved Sentoryou against the inside of the car. He could see the surprise on his face, climbing into his lap and straddling his thighs. Sentoryou looked at him as Yami rested his hands on Sentoryou's shoulders, leaning forward to kiss him again. Sentoryou held him tighter, returning the kiss and tugging Yami's shirt out of his pants. He ran his hands up his skin and Yami groaned in response.

The kiss was broken again and Yami leaned back to catch his breath. He shifted in Sentoryou's lap and wasn't surprised to feel the hard bulge beneath the expensive slacks. Sentoryou groaned, his hands gripping Yami's hips more tightly. His eyes studied his face again before he leaned in and captured Yami's mouth again.

******

Yami woke the next morning blinking in the bright sunlight streaming through an opening in the curtains. He studied the windows blearily, realizing that it was not his bedroom. The bed he was lying in was a king-size with expensive sheets in a big, fancy hotel room.

The bar came back to him, along with pieces of the conversation he'd had with Sentoryou. He could only remember the early part of the night when Sentoryou had invited him for a drink and then nothing. A soft groan of dismay left his lips. How much had he said? What had he done? He was alone in the bed, but he could hear water running in the bathroom. Almost as soon as he realized all of this, the water turned off and the door opened.

Sentoryou came out, fully dressed and combing his hair. He saw Yami looking at him and a faint smile flashed across his face.

"I know what you're thinking, Shadow Flare. But you can relax. We didn't do anything last night."

Yami sat up, seeing that though his shoes, neckbelt, and waistbelt were gone, he was still wearing his shirt, pants, and socks. Was it true? After all of that, Sentoryou hadn't slept with him? Though he hadn't voiced this question out loud, Sentoryou answered it.

"You were drunk." Sentoryou came over and sat down on the edge of the bed, facing him. "I still want you. But I want you uninfluenced and you weren't. I'm not a fool. I know you're not as into me as I'm into you. I still hope to change your mind. But not that way." He got up. "Whenever you're ready, I'll take you home. You weren't in any condition to tell me where you live last night, so I just brought you here and put you to bed."

Yami pushed the covers off of himself, slowly getting to his feet. Sentoryou didn't look at him, staring in the mirror above the dresser, knotting his tie around his neck. Standing up, Yami felt the effects of his hangover more intensely; his head pounded, his stomach was queasy, and his mouth felt like it was full of carpet. He went into the bathroom and washed his face and hands, the cold water helping to make him feel a little better. Unfortunately there was no toothbrush to be used, so he just used a corner of the hand towel to scrub his teeth and then rinsed his mouth with water. It would do until he could get home.

Once he was finished with all of that, he rested his hands on the edges of the sink and stared at himself in the mirror. His face was pale and his eyes just slightly bloodshot, looking more tired than hung-over at the moment. But he was more disgusted with himself. He had gotten drunk and thrown himself at Sentoryou. He was just lucky the older man was such a good man. He had been in such a condition that he hadn't been able to remember where he lived. How disgraceful.

Yami straightened up and made himself leave the bathroom to face Sentoryou. However, Sentoryou merely looked at him and smiled. He was holding both of Yami's belts in his hands and Yami's shoes were resting on the floor at the foot of the bed. Yami accepted his belts and put them both on before sitting down to put on his shoes.

"I like that thing around your neck," Sentoryou said. "It's an interesting choice of a decoration."

Yami got to his feet, offering a faint smile. He really wasn't sure what to say to him. He was grateful for his gentlemanly actions, embarrassed by his own behavior, and guilty for what he was putting Sentoryou through. He felt sorry for him.

"Ready to go home?" Sentoryou asked.

"Yes, thank you."

The white limo was sitting in a space outside the twelve-floor luxury hotel in downtown Domino. It was the city's only such hotel, and Yami was certain the rooms fetched a high price. The driver of the limo met them at the car, clearly having stayed at the hotel as well. Another sign of Sentoryou's goodness--he paid for his staff to stay in an expensive room instead of making him find his own lodgings. Judging by the fact that Sentoryou had no luggage with him while they walked, he was staying at the hotel another night at least.

Yami sat next to Sentoryou in the back of the limo, still feeling distinctly uncomfortable. Part of him wanted to justify what he'd done, but he felt there was no real justification for it. Just because Kaiba had been Kaiba, that was no excuse.

"Does your head hurt?" Sentoryou asked after a silence.

Yami nodded. It did hurt fairly acutely, which he was glad for. He deserved the punishment of the pain for being so foolish.

"Sentoryou, I'm sorry," he said abruptly. "For last night."

Sentoryou chuckled a little, though the noise wasn't entirely cheerful. "I'm forty-one, Shadow Flare. Not too old to not remember what it was like to be your age. Sometimes you just go a little overboard. It's no longer yesterday, but today, and I forgive you."

Yami smiled, feeling relieved. The fact that Sentoryou forgave him made him feel a little better. He tucked his bangs back behind his ear.

"I want to thank you--"

"I'd rather you didn't."

Yami frowned slightly, but understood. The hotel wasn't that far from the apartment complex where he lived and they were soon pulling into the lot. Yami opened his door and paused, looking back at Sentoryou. Before he could speak, Sentoryou beat him to it.

"Now that you're sober, I know my chances, but I was wondering if you'd go to dinner with me Tuesday night, Shadow Flare."

Yami looked at him for a long moment, then climbed out of the limo, turning around to peer back inside. He smiled a little.

"I'd be happy to, Sentoryou. And my name is Yami."

tbc..


	72. Chapter 72

Chapter Seventy-Two:

Seto gripped the phone tightly in his hand, shock running through him. "What did you say?"

"You heard me just fine, kiddo," Takanawa said, his voice still extremely cheerful. No doubt he was thoroughly enjoying himself in this. "Murder. As in, the intentional killing of another human being."

"Why?"

"Oh, come on. You know why. Don't play dumb, it doesn't work for you, I've told you before."

"Who, then?"

"Now that's a better question. Katana, Max, Andrew, Shin, Daisuke, and Ferret are--or were--not the only people I have working for me, of course. I'm not the big player I once was, thanks to you, but I'm happy to say I don't have just a piddling gang either. And some of my other associates have informed me of coming into some bad situations with my good old friends Akira and Tetsuo. In fact, just in the last couple of months I've had bury three of my friends. I can't tell you how it saddens me."

Takanawa wanted Seto to kill Akira and Tetsuo. They were bigger mob bosses than the one whom Seto couldn't even kill, so how was he supposed to do this? This was it, the end. Takanawa was setting Seto up for death. He knew Seto wouldn't be able to do it, not even with all of his resources. And if Seto refused... Takanawa seemed to read his mind and confirmed his thought.

"Give it the old college try, kiddo. Or I'll have you buried by tomorrow."

"How do you expect me to do it?" Seto said through gritted teeth. "I don't know where they are or even what they look like."

"You don't, but I do. At least, I know where Akira is. One of those three colleagues of mine managed to hang on long enough to tell me that after some passer-by found him all shot up in downtown Tokyo and got him to the hospital. You can find him in the back of Matsamura's Seafood on west Street out there in Tokyo."

Classic mob boss, having a business as a front while they sat around in the back and played poker while deciding what illegal thing to do next. Seto closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead with his free hand. It was starting to become a trend to develop a headache after every time he talked to Takanawa.

"Got a deadline for me this time?"

"Nope. This time, it's not like the other times. This time you've got someone who'll be playing against you, so take all the time you need to make it work. Though I might become impatient if it takes you too long. Good luck, kiddo. Can't decide who I want to come out the winner."

He hung up and Seto slammed the phone down in its cradle. For a moment he sat there shaking, not in fear but in rage. He was very close to losing it when he managed to talk himself into calming down. Taking a deep breath, he settled back in his seat and, for the first time in his life, put his feet up on the desk and folded his hands across his belly.

Okay, he could handle this. No time limit, not in the literal sense, so he needed to just be cool and work it out the best way he could.

Two hours later, stiff from having sat in the same position for a long time but reasonably certain he'd come up with the best plan the situation could give him, he put his feet down and got up, stretching briefly before taking up his briefcase and leaving the office. It was late morning now so what he'd do first was get some lunch and then head out to get this ball rolling.

By dinnertime he'd be either triumphant or dead.

******

Seto stepped out of his limo in front of Matsamura's Seafood restaurant, standing on the sidewalk and looking at the building. It was a perfectly rectangular cinderblock building the color of stormclouds. Two enormous glass windows fronted the building, though they had closed blue curtains at the moment.

Seto walked forward and pulled open the door, hearing a ding of the bell. Inside was a dozen or so square tables with four chairs apiece and a single row of blue-upholstered booths on the right side. Seto glanced around, seeing about four people eating seafood inside, while a young man stood behind the cashier's counter to the left. Directly across the room from the front doors were double-doors that Seto was sure led to the kitchens and to the secret mob room.

A pretty young woman in blue modified kimono and her hair pulled back with chopsticks stuck in it came up to him, holding a menu in her hands. She smiled warmly.

"Hello."

Keeping his voice low, Seto said, "I need to see Akira."

Her almond-shaped eyes widened and she looked very scared for a second before managing to put a smile on her face again. Her hands had clenched on the laminated menu and didn't loosen.

"Just a minute," she said through her teeth before turning and heading back to the double-doors.

Seto waited, watching the room. The patrons didn't pay any attention to him, but the cashier was. He was watching Seto openly and though he looked all of eighteen, Seto was sure that he was a part of this mobster's group. The young man had a mean look to him, flinty eyes that watched Seto like a cat watched a bird. Seto looked right back at him and held his gaze until the woman came back, along with a man. The man was a huge brute even bigger than Daisuke, but much better-looking.

He came right up to Seto and stood close to him, looking down at him with his fists clenched, emanating violence. When he spoke, his voice was a low, gruff growl.

"What do you want with Akira, boy?"

Seto smiled up at him, not taking a step back like the thug had wanted. "That's between me and him, *boy*."

The thug snarled. "Who do you think you are?"

"Someone better than you," Seto retorted. "Now turn around and go back in there and tell Akira I have information he wants."

The big man raised his hands and cracked his knuckles, but the woman suddenly came up and lightly touched his arm. He bent down and she whispered in his ear, her eyes on Seto. The man straightened up, looked at Seto for a moment longer, then reluctantly turned around and headed back through the double-doors. The woman remained at the front, watching him. So did the cashier. Seto now ignored them both, watching the double-doors, half-expecting the big man to come back out with a machine-gun.

The big man did come back, but not with a gun. Instead, he waved Seto over. Seto walked across the restaurant, noticing that the few people that were eating were now watching as well. But Seto was now wondering if they weren't just customers, but part of the group.

Pushing through the double-doors, Seto found himself in the kitchen. The staff were clearly not part of the group, as they were moving around like dogs waiting to be kicked. As the big man came forward to lead Seto through the kitchen, one of the cooks who go too close shuffled away very quickly with his head down. The thug ignored them, walking through the aisles between the counters and appliances to a door on the left just before the emergency exit.

He stopped just outside the door and Seto knew he was to go on in alone. He pushed through the swinging door and found himself in a surprisingly large and beautifully-furnished room. Instead of a skanky room with just a folding card table and chairs, this room had walnut panels covering the lower half of the walls that then turned into blue-paper heading up to the ceiling. There was brass-colored carpet on the floor, two side tables on which stood brass lamps with blue shades, a plush blue couch between those tables and a much larger table that was made of solid oak that stood in the center of the room and had blue-upholstered wooden chairs surrounding it. Above the table was a brass chandelier with crystals hanging from it.

There were nine men in the room. One sat on the couch, reading a book beneath the light of one of the brass lamps. Six sat in the chairs around the table, indeed playing cards; the table was large enough to have accommodated ten, though some chairs were empty. And two stood on either side of the door, arms folded across their chests--sentinels.

Seto knew which was Akira instantly. He was the only man who was sitting with another on either side of him, and also the oldest in the group. He was a slender, surprisingly handsome man around sixty with a single streak of white that went from his left temple and was arced in his bangs across his forehead. He was wearing a fancy silk suit, navy with a blue tie, impeccably ironed. Blue seemed to be his favorite color by far. He was holding six cards in his hands and was looking down at them, not bothering to look up at Seto while the other men in the room did--except for the one reading a book.

"So, my colleague informs me that you say you have something I want," Akira said. His voice was very cultured and almost bored. "I must admit I'm intrigued, Seto Kaiba. Dazzle me."

Seto walked forward, ignoring the tensing of the other men, and stood right on the other side of the table between the two who sat across from Akira. He stayed silent until the other man looked up and met his eyes.

"I can give you Takanawa."

Akira's eyebrows went up and he slowly set his cards face-down. He folded his hands over top of them and looked at Seto with interest. A slight movement of his head was sufficient enough for the man on Seto's right. He pushed out the chair next to him and looked at Seto. He was to sit directly across from Akira because he'd been granted his audience. He did so.

"Well, you have caught my interest, Mr. Kaiba. Please, elucidate."

Akira appeared to be the type of man who intended to come off as a better person than he was. The fancy decor in a room that was nothing more than a poker area in the back of a fish restaurant. The suit for playing poker. The trim, fit body at his age and the careful vocabulary.

Seto sat and explained most of what his situation was, leaving out Mokuba, Marianne, and Yami. He didn't need Akira deciding he could use Seto's brother against him, too. When he was finished, Akira nodded his head, looking down at the table in front of him for a minute before lifting his gaze.

"Very fascinating. And you are certain you can deliver my errant partner to me with these trackers you have installed in his child's automaton?"

Seto thought Akira sounded ridiculous talking the way he did, but at least it showed he was an intelligent, attentive man. He nodded his head. Akira tilted his.

"But, if you are so confident you can destroy him, why bother coming to me at all?"

Seto took the plunge and explained the plan he had now. Akira listened intently, then smiled.

"I like your proposal, Mr. Kaiba. Devious and cruel. I approve, but I warn you that I am not going to put any risk on myself. You do this alone."

"That's how I like it."

Akira shook his head. "You should learn to rely on some good men. Having people willing to cover your back is a gift, Mr. Kaiba."

Seto ignored the comment. "When can I get it?"

"I'll have one of my men deliver it to your house--"

"I wouldn't do that. Takanawa has men watching me."

Akira frowned at him. "If they are watching you, why did you come directly here?"

"Takanawa already knows you're here. But he clearly doesn't have any ability to take you out, or he would have done it. He mentioned that three of his men have been killed off by you. I think he's scared of you and Tetsuo."

Akira smiled, clearly pleased with that. He dropped his more pompous attitude. "Good. I'm sure our combined efforts would be able to cut him down where he lives, but, as I said, I'm not willing to take the risk. Unfortunately, we have no real idea of how many people he has. I'm not willing to sacrifice my men without clear intel."

"Do I have a yes, then?"

Akira considered, then shook his head. "I don't make decisions like this without Tetsuo. You can wait around until he can make it, can't you?"

The way he said it made Seto certain it was not a request. He nodded, gritting his teeth together. Akira smiled and shifted his gaze to one of the two men who were sitting on either side of Seto. The one of his left got up and left the room. The other came around and bent down for Akira to murmur in his ear. Not liking this, Seto watched closely, looking for a sign that he should try and see how far he could get before he was mowed down. But Akira surprised him by turning his attention to him again.

"You're not allergic to anything, are you, Mr. Kaiba?"

Confused, Seto shook his head. Akira said something more to the man, who nodded and left the room. Seto had the crazy idea that Akira had just ordered dinner and he found he was right. Though it took more than an hour and a half for Tetsuo to arrive, by that time the kitchens had provided a feast. The cards had been taken away and the table draped with a white table cloth on which the still-meek kitchen staff set every type of seafood imaginable from lobsters to sushi. To add variety, there were also some vegetables and dinner rolls. It seemed to be a mix of Japanese and American seafood fare. Seto even saw some strange round bread thing that he suspected was the American hushpuppy. Why it was called a hushpuppy he had no idea.

Tetsuo was a very different man than Akira. Grey-haired and portly, he had a round and childish face, a quick smile, and the cheerful attitude of Santa Claus. He arrived in the poker room with four of his own men, all of whom were young and mean-looking, the classic henchmen. But Tetsuo didn't fit the mould. He came in and went around the table to Akira, who had gotten to his feet when he came in. The two henchmen flanking him had gotten up and went around the table to leave Akira alone. Laughing happily, Tetsuo wrapped Akira up in a tight hug, before letting go and putting both hands on Akira's shoulders.

"How the hell are you, you old bastard?" he said in a booming voice.

Akira smiled. "Fine, you fat asshole. How are you?"

Seto stared at them, wondering if this was some strange tradition with them. Tetsuo laughed and let go of Akira, stepping back.

"Great! Ah, you've got the food already laid out. You know me too well." He turned and looked at Seto, his expression still mindlessly cheerful. He stared at Seto and Seto stared back, which seemed to be the right thing to do in this case. Tetsuo's smile widened and he laughed again. "You've got a hard stare, Kaiba. That's good. So I hear you're planning on getting rid of our old friend. Even better."

He leaned over the table, having just enough reach to pat Seto hard on the shoulder before sitting down with a heavy sigh of relief. Akira sat back down beside him, pushing the last chair on that side out of the way to leave just he and Tetsuo there. The others in the group, except for the one reading the book and the two standing sentinel at the door, came and sat in the other chairs, making the count at the table 12.

"Kaiba, please join us," Tetsuo said. He made a gesture at the food.

Seto reluctantly served himself with some sushi rolls, a lobster, and some vegetables. He tried one of the hushpuppies and found it disgusting. For the next half-hour the group just sat and ate, Akira and Tetsuo chatting about a shipment they would be delivering on Friday, though they weren't specific about the content or location. At last they seemed to finish their dinner and the kitchen staff came back in to clear the table, serving coffee and cake for dessert. Both of which Seto refused.

"Well, now we can get down to business," Akira said. "First, fill Tetsuo in on the situation and your plan."

Seto did so, and when he was finished, Tetsuo laughed heartily. He nodded his head enthusiastically.

"That sounds like just the thing to do. Good, good. I say we go for it, Akira."

Akira nodded in agreement. Seto was relieved, though he'd had an idea they'd go for it long before now, or he would already be dead.

"Though it would be a week before we could get it to you."

"A week?"

Tetsuo looked up, swallowing his mouthful of cake. "It's not that easy to get product in the first place, let alone extra," he said. "Especially what you need."

Seto frowned, but didn't say anything. Akira smiled and took a drink of his coffee before setting the mug down.

"However, my concern is how to get it to you without Takanawa knowing. That's not going to be easy, so I have a idea. My second son, Choukichi, will stay with you in the hopes he can rid you of your tail."

Akira had indicated the man reading the book, who looked up now. He looked to be only a few years older than Seto himself, with his father's good looks and the look of a man who knew just how many ways he could kill you.

"That's not--"

"--up for discussion," Akira cut in. "Choukichi knows six martial arts styles and how to handle every type of weapon imaginable. Your tail won't last long."

Seto's hands clenched. He was not used to always having his choice taken away from him and liked it no more now than he had the first time he'd heard Takanawa's voice. Raising his eyes, he looked directly into Akira's eyes.

"I'm not looking to replace one fool with another."

All nine of the other men at the table got to their feet, seven of them pulling guns from their jackets while the other two pulled out wicked-looking knives. Seto didn't take his eyes from Akira's, who stared back at Seto with no expression on his face. Then Tetsuo suddenly started laughing again and some of the tension left the room, though Seto was sure the nine men waiting to kill him were confused.

"I like him," Tetsuo said, which made the men standing slowly sit down, returning their weapons to their jackets. "Impertinent, bold. A mouthy bastard with no fear, just like you, Akira."

Akira smiled, though his eyes didn't leave Seto's. "I concur," he said, reverting to the unnecessary embellishment of his vocabulary. "And don't worry, Mr. Kaiba. We had nothing to do with Gozaburo and couldn't care less what you want to do with your company. You took it, and it's yours. What we want is Takanawa, because he tried to sell us out to save his own hide. Once this is over, we never see each other again. You go your own way and we go ours. Although, I will add that you'd be astute to stay away from Matsamura's and Tetsuo's place, the Balkai Casino in Tokyo, understood?"

Seto nodded. He hoped he could believe what they were saying. In truth, he was marking himself as a man who knew their operations without being a part of their group. To them, that could be a liability. On the other hand, he didn't know enough that he could blow the whistle on them if he cared to. So he knew their poker room in the back of the seafood restaurant. He didn't know where they brought in, stored, and shipped out their illegal 'product' as they had called it. Hopefully Akira would realize this and keep his word.

Choukichi got to his feet. He walked over to Seto with a deadly grace and a cool attitude and Seto had to grudgingly admit that he looked like the type of person who knew what he was doing. He said nothing to Seto, just bowed to his father and left the room. Seto got to his feet and left. He didn't bow. He never did.

"I hope you're what your name means," Seto muttered to the other man as they headed through the kitchens back to the dining area.

Choukichi smirked. "I'm 27. I've killed dozens of people. Those three that you were talking about? My handiwork."

"Congratulations," Seto said drily, which made Choukichi smirk wider.

Outside, Choukichi looked around with the trained eyes of an assassin while the black limo was pulling up. Seto pulled open his door and climbed inside, Choukichi following right after him. To his surprise, he'd already found the tail.

"He's in a dark green Trans Am."

"How do you know that's the right person?"

"The guy had on sunglasses and a coat. The glasses so you can't see where his eyes are and the coat to conceal a gun." He glanced briefly through the back window. "And the car's following us now."

Seto rolled down the privacy glass between the back compartment and the driver. "That green car behind us is following us."

"I'll lose him, sir," the driver said.

"No, don't," Choukichi disagreed. "Take us out to the wharf."

The driver looked at Seto in the rearview mirror for his confirmation and Seto reluctantly nodded. The driver headed that way and it wasn't long before they were turning into the lot of one of the many warehouses along the coast. Seto remembered the fact that he'd been in a warehouse just recently and he pushed away the image of Hans' mutilated body. That was over.

"Don't you think he's going to get suspicious when we suddenly come here?" Seto demanded of his new companion.

"Probably. But I'm sure he knows who I am. He won't be able to pass up the opportunity to kill me."

Seto noticed his driver look up in the rearview mirror again, his face suddenly afraid. Seto met his eyes and told him without words to hold his tongue. The driver pulled around behind the warehouse, nearer to the water, and cut the motor.

"What if there are more on the way?" Seto asked. "And don't you think killing him is going to piss off Takanawa?"

"Sure it is. But if I make the body count four, he's going to know my dad's serious again about finding him out and he'll probably make a run for it."

"So you hope."

Choukichi flashed him a self-confident grin. He pulled a Glock out of his jacket and cocked it. "Don't worry about me. I've already been in the business a long time."

He slid out of the limo and disappeared behind one of the poles used to dock ships. Not a second later the green car came around the warehouse and then braked suddenly. It sat for a long minute, the driver probably weighing his options. The good thing about limos was that the back windows were always tinted and therefore the man in the green car would not be able to see that Seto was alone. Maybe Choukichi would be able to get the job done.

And then the green car suddenly roared backwards in reverse, tires squealing before he whipped the car around and took off forward. He was out of sight in seconds. After another second, Choukichi came out from behind the piling, uncocking his gun before sliding into the backseat beside Seto again.

"Damn. I overestimated his courage. Oh, well, next time."

Seto sighed and directed his driver to take them home. The driver did so, driving more slowly than was necessary, clearly tense and scared. However, the green car was not waiting to ambush them, nor was it visible anywhere. The tail had taken off, probably heading back to Takanawa with his news.

Once the limo had pulled into the circular drive in front of the Kaiba Mansion, Seto got out and lead Choukichi inside. The other man looked around and whistled.

"Nice digs. You could throw some bitchin' parties here."

"I'm not much into bitchin' parties," Seto said with a growl.

Choukichi laughed, then waved his arm. "What's my room, K?"

Seto turned to face Choukichi in full, narrowing his eyes. "Listen here, playboy. You're only here because your father is of some use to me. Don't make jokes, don't make yourself at home, and don't ever call me K!"

Instead of getting angry, Choukichi continued to smile. "Yeah, I got it. So, what room, K?"

Seto walked away. Behind him, Choukichi was laughing and Seto's fingers were clenched so tightly around his briefcase handle that he wondered if he would ever be able to let go of it. This was what he would now have to deal with? Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm himself down. He could handle it.

If this was what it would take to get what he needed, then it would be worth it.

tbc…


	73. Chapter 73

Chapter Seventy-Three:

Yami stood and watched the limo as it pulled away before turning and heading into the apartment. He was still feeling quite sick and wanted to lie down, but mostly he thought he needed to think about what had just happened. Sentoryou had been quite happy he'd accepted his dinner invitation and even happier that Yami had finally given him his name.

Entering the apartment, he went to find his friends, to check in first. Joey was in the kitchen, reading the newspaper. He wasn't much into the politics part of it, but he kept up on local news and weather predictions. He looked up when Yami entered the kitchen and kept looking at him as he went over to the refrigerator to pull the water jug out and pour himself a glass.

"Hi," he said uncertainly.

"Good morning, Joey." Yami took a most welcome drink of cold water and turned around. "Where's Aibou?"

Joey turned back to his newspaper. "Out with his new boyfriend."

Yami stared at him. "What?!"

Joey didn't look up, just turned the page and nodded. "Yep. Kazuya...something. They met at work."

Yami slowly crossed the room and settled down in the seat across from Joey. The blond continued to read the paper without looking up while Yami sipped his water.

"Don't say anything, Yami," he said finally.

Yami looked at him for a long time, before slowly getting up and taking his water back into his room, leaving Joey in the kitchen. If he didn't want him to say anything, he'd respect his wishes, but he himself had mixed feelings on this. If Yugi's new boyfriend made him happy, then that was very good, but it left Joey alone, and Yami didn't want that.

He headed back into his room and pulled the blinds and curtains closed before stripping down to just his boxers and laying down on his bed. Closing his eyes, he lightly massaged his head, hoping to alleviate some of his headache. Now he needed to think.

Sentoryou had proven to be a nicer gentleman than Yami would have ever suspected. Maybe there was something there for him. Maybe he should give it a shot and see where it led to instead of second-guessing his decision earlier. He might even be glad he did.

As for Yugi, Yami wanted to meet this new boyfriend of his. He hoped that Joey was not so determined to push Yugi away that he wouldn't be attentive to whom he pushed him. Still, maybe it really was time for Yugi and Joey to go their separate ways once and for all.

And Kaiba...

Yami angrily pushed that thought away. Enough. Kaiba had made his position quite clear and Yami was not going to run after him to find out why. It didn't matter why. Kaiba had stated his piece and Yami was quite content to cut him loose.

Satisfied, Yami lowered his hands to his stomach and drifted off.

******

Yami woke towards evening feeling a bit better, though he was thirsty, hungry, and achy from having lain in the same position for several hours. He got up and stretched before putting on some clean clothes and heading into the bathroom. He hadn't brushed his teeth yet that day and his mouth tasted awful. Once he was finished, he headed out into the main room.

Joey was now watching TV and when Yami sat beside him, he shook his head. "Nah, he's not back yet."

Yami glanced at the clock. Sentoryou had dropped him off at home around ten in the morning and now it was almost five. An awfully long date.

"Where does Aibou work now?" Yami had never heard that particular detail, having not seen his hikari in almost three days.

"A restaurant downtown. Some little place but I don't remember the name. He's the seater. Kazuya's the day shift cook."

Yami looked over at him. "Have you met this man yet?"

"No."

Yami didn't try his link with Yugi. He wanted to, but he was afraid Yugi would take it as spying on him and he didn't want to upset him. Instead, he just sat and watched TV with Joey even though the lights brought back some of his hang-over headache.

"Have a good time last night?" Joey suddenly asked.

Yami hesitated before smiling. "Yes. I met someone for drinks." He went ahead and added, "Sentoryou."

Joey turned his head to face him. "Isn't that the guy from the Room?"

"Yes."

Joey blinked at him, then turned back to face the TV again and shrugged. "Cool. I didn't think you liked him."

"I didn't. But now I think I do."

Yugi came home around nine, and by that time Joey had gone to bed. Yami didn't think this was a coincidence and he figured that though this is what he wanted, he didn't want to see Yugi with someone else.

When his hikari came in, Yami was in the kitchen doing the dinner dishes he'd put off. He set down the dish towel when he heard the door open and went to go see this Kazuya, but before he'd even gotten there, Yugi had closed the door again. Yami stopped in the doorway between kitchen and living room and smiled.

//Hello, Yugi. How was your date?//

/Joey told you?/

//Yes.//

Yugi crossed the room and went past him into the kitchen to get a drink from the refrigerator. /It was great. Kazuya's great. He's really funny and sweet./

//That's good. Didn't he bring you home?//

/Yeah, but he has to be at the restaurant at five tomorrow morning so we just said goodbye in the car. Is Joey asleep?/

//He's in his room, yes. He only went in there a little while ago.//

Yugi took a sip of his drink, then shrugged. Yami went back to the sink and started again on the dishes. Yugi leaned against the counter beside him, sipping his cola before he grabbed the towel and started drying. Yami smiled at him in thanks.

/You didn't come home last night,/ Yugi said. /So you have a boyfriend now, too?/

Yami considered for a second. //Yes, I suppose I do. His name is Sentoryou.//

/I've heard you say that name before.../

//He is one of the patrons from the Fire Room. He was still interested in me after I quit and asked me to dinner. I accepted.//

/Oh./

//How was your session with Dr. Miller?// Yami asked tentatively.

/I didn't go./

Yami turned his head but Yugi was looking at the glass he was slowing drying.

/I was out with Kazuya and I didn't want to interrupt the day to go see a grief counselor. He doesn't know about all of that stuff. Or, at least, that it's still affecting me./

//I see.//

Yugi set the dish towel down after drying the last dish and turned to Yami. He smiled and hugged him before letting go. His eyes were very bright and he seemed very cheerful.

/I'm going to head to bed. I need to be at the restaurant at seven tomorrow for my shift./

Yami nodded, letting Yugi leave the room, hearing his bedroom door open a few seconds later. He put the dried dishes away and drained the sink, wishing that Yugi's happiness didn't have to come at the price of Joey's.

******

On Tuesday night, Yami contemplated what to wear for his date with Sentoryou. He had no idea where he was being taken and finally decided to switch his usual leather for the suit he still had in the closet. He'd get enough attention with his spiky hair and red eyes, he didn't need to stand anymore than that.

Yugi was out with Kazuya again, but Joey had just gotten home from his shift at the men's clothing store and he smiled widely when Yami came back into the living room, trying to knot his tie correctly.

"Wow, look at you. I almost forgot you had that suit. It looks good. You must like this Sentoryou guy after all."

He stepped forward and helped Yami with the blasted tie, knotting it the right way and straightening it. Yami smiled, tugging down the sleeves of the suit jacket and shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know him well enough yet."

"Eh, you will. Hey, on Thursday a group from work is heading out for Cinco de Mayo. Want to come with us?"

"What is Cinco de Mayo?"

"Basically, it's an excuse to get drunk. Something about an independence day for Mexico, I think, but everyone else just uses it as a drinking holiday, like St. Patrick's Day and New Year's. We're heading out to this bar down in Kyoto that one of the girls' brother owns. Interested?"

Yami nodded, though he was privately thinking he'd make sure he didn't drink all that much. He still believed he had some handle on his drinking, but he didn't want to push his luck. At least he didn't crave alcohol every day.

"I would be glad to go," he said.

"Cool. Maybe Yug'll want to go too. And Kazuya."

"You don't have to invite him just to make Yugi happy, Joey."

"No, I know. See if Sentoryou wants to go, it's just a big group." He looked up and added, "To be honest, I'm not really pining after Yug', you know. There's even this guy I met at a place near work where everybody goes to eat lunch. He's half-American, which is something in common, and we've talked a few times."

Yami grinned in relief. "Invite him. What's his name?"

"Zach Grayson. His mother's the Japanese one."

Joey had finished with the tie and now he patted Yami on the shoulder before pushing him towards the door. Yami had no heard the limo, but apparently Joey had for when Yami opened it, he could see the limo idling by the curb. He started down towards it just as Sentoryou was getting out of the back. He smiled widely when he saw Yami and stepped back to allow him to climb into the back compartment. He joined him and they took off.

Sentoryou ended up taking Yami to a fancy restaurant in Tokyo that was known for its international dishes. It was a long drive for a meal, but worth it, as Sentoryou ordered a wide variety for them to try. From Chinese wonton soup to more exotic Greek lamb and French bouillabaisse, the meal was the strangest and most appealing Yami had ever tried. Sentoryou ordered port wine for their dinner, but Yami found its strong flavor distasteful, which made it easy to stick to water.

After the dessert, they sat and chatted over coffee for a while before calling it a night. Yami was surprised to see it was half past nine when they left the restaurant--they'd sat talking for two hours. By the time they returned to Domino, it was after eleven.

The driver pulled the limo over to the curb again and put it in park. Sentoryou turned to Yami and smiled, reaching out to playfully tweak the red tie.

"I think you look good in this, but why did you wear a suit?"

"I thought it would be more appropriate."

"Maybe. But who cares? I like what *you* wear."

Yami smiled, then watched as Sentoryou leaned closer to him. No alcohol in his system now to influence his decisions or to hide behind as an excuse. Whatever he did now was of his own volition, for better or worse.

He met Sentoryou's kiss, closing his eyes and parting his lips. Sentoryou's tongue ghosted over his bottom lip and Yami groaned, reaching up to wind his arms around his neck while Sentoryou's arms wrapped around his waist. After a moment, Sentoryou deepened the kiss and slid his tongue into Yami's mouth, a growl of approval leaving his throat. He searched his mouth thoroughly before drawing back with a sigh. Yami, rather out of breath, opened his eyes and looked up into Sentoryou's face.

"I suppose I'd better let you go while I still can," he said with a lack of enthusiasm. "It is, after all, only our first date."

"Second," Yami countered, which Sentoryou enjoyed.

He was kissed again, just as thoroughly as the first time before Sentoryou grudgingly disengaged. He invited Yami out again for the next night, which Yami accepted before telling him about the get-together on Thursday. Sentoryou admitted to not being enthused about going to a bar with a bunch of people half his age but then agreed to come if Yami wanted him to. Yami told him it was up to him and left the limo to head inside.

The white limo drove off and Yami watched its progress through the curtains in the dark front room, his heart still pounding in his chest. Sentoryou was an excellent kisser and the date had been even better than he'd anticipated. His decision was proving to be a good one.

******

The date on Wednesday was just as good as the one on Tuesday, this time Sentoryou taking him to an upscale sushi bar in Kyoto. He declined going to the Cinco de Mayo thing at the bar, though he promised Yami it was because of work, not because of the group age.

At the bar, aptly called Knock One Down, Yami met both Kazuya, whose last name proved to be Saitou, and Zach Grayson. The latter, like Joey, showed little of his Japanese heritage. He was a blond with blue eyes, tall and rather well-built. He was a cheerful, easy-going guy, who wrung Yami's hand when they were introduced. The former was a young, lanky Japanese man with hair that was longer on top than on the back and sides, the top being spiked. His clothes had an American style, a buttoned white dress-shirt that had the top two undone to showed a black T-shirt underneath and baggy jeans. He said little, but was clearly affectionate of Yugi.

Yugi seemed to be in a very good mood during the night, laughing and talking and, to Yami's disconcert, drinking. Yami had never seen his hikari drink alcohol before. At least, he didn't overdo it, having only two beers over the course of the gathering.

Yami surreptitiously watched Joey out of the corner of his eye. Kazuya was constantly whispering things in Yugi's ear that made the smaller giggle. Joey was watching all of this with a fairly stony expression, though he never interrupted and paid attention to Zach. It was clear he was jealous, as Yami had suspected, but he was still determined that he and Yugi were over.

Once it was well past midnight, the group broke up and headed for home. Both of the couples parted company at the door of the bar and Yugi, Yami, and Joey headed home together in the blue car. Yugi was still wired despite the early morning hour, but settled down during the drive and was sleepy by the time they got home. Yami, though exhausted, followed him into his bedroom to talk.

/Joey says you went on another date with Sentoryou,/ Yugi said, lifting his shirt up over his head.

//Yes, I did.//

/Isn't he that guy that was in the foyer at the old apartment? He was cute./

Yami smiled and sat down on the edge of Yugi's bed, watching as he changed into his pajamas. Yugi was moving lethargically and clearly whatever energy he'd had during the night at the bar had worn off. Once his pajamas were on, he settled down on the bed with a sigh, lying down on his back with his legs hanging over the side.

//Kazuya seems nice.//

Yugi smiled widely with his eyes shut. /He's great./

Yami patted his thigh and got up. Yugi was going to be asleep in seconds and he was tired himself.

/Yami?/

Yami turned at the door and looked back. Yugi had levered himself up on one elbow and was looking at him through half-lidded eyes, but when he raised his eyebrows in question, Yugi just shook his head.

/Nevermind./

He twisted and turned around until he was lying on his side in the bed lengthwise and smiled at Yami before closing his eyes again.

/Goodnight./

Yami hesitated, then flipped the switch to turn off the light. //Goodnight, Aibou.//

******

During the course of the rest of the week, Sentoryou took Yami out on two more dates. Monday was their fifth, including the drinks at the bar near Kaiba Corp. Sentoryou picked Yami up at the apartment and surprised him by taking him out to the docks. There, he had a fancy yacht tethered to his private dock, a 30-foot white boat with navy and forest-green stripes, and honey-colored wood deck. He led Yami up the gang-plank and onto the yacht, where a table had been set up for a candlelit dinner.

Yami wasn't much for sappy romance, but the planning Sentoryou had gone through for this made him feel flattered. He had a sneaking suspicion that Sentoryou hadn't had a boat before now. Though if Sentoryou continued this, he was going to have to make sure he knew that Yami didn't want him spending money on him.

On board, a captain and small crew untethered the boat and steered out of the port and out to sea. Yami and Sentoryou sat at the table and were served a fabulous dinner. The yacht drove far enough out that the coast of Domino became just a bank of little lights. The stars were out, making a million silver sparkles in the black night sky. The soft sounds of the waves and the gentle movements of the yacht were soothing. Once dinner was over, the two of them split a bottle of wine and talked well past midnight.

Once the wine was done, Yami got up and walked over to the railing on the starboard side of the boat, looking out across the water to the sparkling bank of Domino three miles back. Sentoryou came and stood beside him, though Yami could see he was looking at him.

"Thank you for bringing me out here," Yami said.

"You're welcome."

Yami studied the softly glowing landscape. The sea air brushed against his skin, cool and pleasant, and he was suddenly reminded of other nighttime boat rides. Sailing down the Nile on the royal barge, both banks flickering with firelight and the stars twinkling above. The smell of the river and cookfires, the sounds of owls, frogs, and fish leaping after insects. It had been a favorite pasttime for Yami during the blistering summer months to take a cool boat ride down the Nile before bed.

"What are you smiling about?" Sentoryou murmured in interest.

"This," Yami said truthfully. He folded his arms atop the rail and leaned forward a little, taking a deep breath of the cool air.

When the yacht finally returned to port, it was after one in the morning. The two of them got into the white limo and headed back into the city. However, the limo did not go back to the Ridge Apartments, but instead to the hotel Sentoryou was still staying at. Yami looked from the front facade of the hotel to Sentoryou, who sat beside him, watching at him with an intense, burning look in his eyes.

"Yami," he said softly. "Will you stay the night with me?"

Yami stared at him for a long moment, feeling nervousness, uncertainty, and lust. He glanced at the hotel again before turning to Sentoryou and leaned forward, kissing him lightly. Drawing back, he nodded his head. Sentoryou groaned a little and leaned across him to push open the door. Yami got out, Sentoryou following after him, and the two of them headed into the hotel lobby and to the elevator. They were the only one in the car and Sentoryou pushed him against the wall, bending his head down to kiss Yami hard on the mouth. Yami kissed him back, his hands resting on Sentoryou's shoulders.

The elevator stopped at the floor of Sentoryou's suite, interrupting their make-out session. Sentoryou drew back, but took Yami's hand, lacing their fingers together and pulling him out of the elevator. Yami smiled at him and went with him down the hall to the room. Sentoryou pulled his keycard out of his jacket pocket and opened the door before leading Yami inside. He closed the door, still holding Yami's hand, and looked at him as if waiting for him to change his mind.

Yami smiled and stepped forward, reaching up with his other hand to cup the back of Sentoryou's head and pull him down. Sentoryou groaned again as their lips met and his free arm snaked around Yami's waist, drawing him up against him. He let go of Yami's hand and sank his fingers into his hair, crushing his mouth against his. Yami wound his arm around Sentoryou's shoulders, allowing Sentoryou's tongue inside. They kissed for a long time, until air became necessary, and reluctantly they broke apart.

Sentoryou pulled Yami into the bedroom, then let him go and drew back. He took off his tie and jacket, then looked at him with a cajoling smile.

"Will you dance for me, Shadow Flare?" he asked. "Just once?"

Yami blinked, then smiled flirtatiously and pushed Sentoryou until his knees hit the edge of the armchair's cushion and he fell into it. Sentoryou grinned and straightened up in the chair, watching as Yami stepped back. He'd done this for Joey several months ago, but he was happy to do it for Sentoryou, too.

Slowly Yami started swaying his body, swinging his hips from side to side with his hands on them, rolling his body. He lifted his hands and sank his fingers into his hair, throwing his head back and arching his back. He slid his hands down from his hair over his body to thighs, then slowly sank down into a crouch before spreading his thighs wide and slowly straightening up again. Sentoryou watched him with a hungry expression, his eyes wandering over his body. Yami smiled at him and raised one hand, running it over the side of his face and parting his lips, sticking his pinkie briefly inside and closing his teeth over it with a wicked expression.

Sentoryou took a sharp breath and leaned back further into the chair, his hands gripping the armrests. Yami reached up and unbuckled his neckbelt, sliding it off and tossing it to the floor. He took off his armcuffs and then reached down and gripped the end of his shirt, slowing raising it over his head. He brushed the material over his skin before tossing the shirt to the floor. He ran his hands over his bared chest and stomach, down to the waistband of his pants. He unbuckled his belt, but went no further.

He walked over to Sentoryou and raised one leg, planting his foot on the cushion beside Sentoryou's leg, leaning forward and cupping his chin with his fingers, leaning forward until his face was an inch from Sentoryou's. Then he smiled and drew back.

"Tease," Sentoryou muttered.

Yami turned his back to him and raised his hands above his head, sashaying his body seductively. He dropped to his knees, legs spread, and pulled his belt from the loops of his pants. Looking over his shoulder at Sentoryou, he draped the belt over his shoulders, his back curved teasingly. Reaching down, he undid the button and lowered his zipper, smiling at the look on Sentoryou's face. He got to his feet with a roll of his body so that his rear was briefly presented to him. Sentoryou growled.

Yami wriggled out of his pants and kicked them away, leaving himself in his boxers, which was how it was at the Fire Room. He walked over to the bed and crawled up onto it on all fours before rolling onto his hip. One leg curled a little, propping himself up on his elbow with his other hand resting on his hip, he fixed Sentoryou with a smoky stare. Smiling, he raised his hand from his hip and curled his finger in a beckon.

Sentoryou got up quickly and walked over, crawling on the bed to rest on his hip beside Yami. He reached over and cupped his face, leaning over to kiss him. Yami kissed him back, meeting his tongue with his, groaning softly as Sentoryou took over. Though not for long.

Sentoryou gasped as Yami shoved against him and rolled him over onto his back, rolling over on top of him to straddle his hips. Smiling down at him wickedly, Yami started unbuttoning his shirt, getting the buttons all down to where the shirt was still tucked into his pants, pushing open the flaps to reveal his chest. He bent down and kissed the left side of his collarbone, moving his hands down to unbuckle his belt and undo the button and zipper. Sentoryou shuddered under him, his head tilted back as Yami worked up his neck, just holding himself up on his elbows while Yami tugged his shirt out of his pants and raised his hands to his shoulders, starting to push the garment off.

Yami suddenly found himself rolled, Sentoryou pressing him down into the mattress. He was kissed again, shivering at the feeling of his shirt brushing against his bare sides. He wrapped his arms around his neck, running one of his hands over Sentoryou's back through the shirt. The kiss was broken and Sentoryou nibbled his way down Yami's neck, pausing midway to suck there, working on a hickey. His hands were wandering along Yami's arms and ribs, brushing teasingly at the waistband of his boxers.

"Sentoryou," Yami murmured, shifting under him.

His voice made Sentoryou come back up and take his mouth in another kiss. Yami took one of his hands and pushed it down to the waistband of his boxers again, rumpling it a little. Sentoryou growled again, sucking on Yami's bottom lip.

The jangle of a cell phone made Sentoryou groan and pull back a little. Yami glanced over to the nightstand, where the ringing cell phone was. Sentoryou sighed and rolled off to grab it. He lifted it up to look at the number.

"Sorry," he said before answering it.

Yami pushed himself up onto his elbow again, just waiting for Sentoryou to finish the call. He could hear his side of the conversation, and it was clearly important.

"Now's not a good time," he said at first. Then he stiffened and straightened up a little, his expression turning concerned. "Oh, no. When?" He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "I'll be right there."

Yami frowned, watching as Sentoryou ended the call and set the phone down on the nightstand again. He got to his feet, buttoning his shirt and tucking it back into his pants. As he zippered and buttoned the pants and cinched his belt back up, he explained.

"Yami, I'm so sorry, but I've got to go. My sister Aiko was just in a car accident."

"Oh, no," Yami said, sitting up straight. "No, go, I can get home fine."

Sentoryou ignored his tie, but put his jacket back on, before pausing to look at Yami. He smiled with a disappointed expression, then bent down and cupped Yami's face between his hands.

"You look beautiful," he said. He pressed a deep kiss to Yami's lips before drawing back.

Yami watched as he grabbed his keycard, giving him one last smile before he hurried out of the room. Left alone, Yami sighed softly. He slid out of bed and began putting his clothes back on, trying to ignore the erection all their kissing and teasing had left. Once he was dressed, he sat down on the edge of the bed and looked around. Sentoryou kept a neat place. A pity he had to leave.

A smile played over his features and he left the hotel room.

tbc…


	74. Chapter 74

Chapter Seventy-Four:

Seto yawned and stretched, blinking as he glanced at his alarm clock. Seven-thirty on May 2nd. It was Monday and hopefully the last week Takanawa would have to live.

He got out of bed and showered and dressed before heading out to go downstairs and get some breakfast. He'd go to work like normal, while Akira and Tetsuo did their thing. Takanawa was sure to be suspicious, considering the tail had seen him with Choukichi, but there was nothing he could do about that. No matter what Takanawa did, however, Mokuba and Marianne were still safe.

As Seto headed down the hall towards the stairs, Choukichi came out of the bedroom he'd chosen for himself, wearing only a towel. He saw Seto and grinned.

"Morning, K."

Seto scowled at him, stopping. "Put on some clothes."

Choukichi laughed and turned away, walking towards the stairs himself. Down at the far end of the hall, a pair of Seto's maids were cleaning. They were talking in whispers, like they usually did, pretending not to take notice of Seto and Choukichi.

"Aw, lighten up, K. Besides, you like it. You're gay, right?"

Seto narrowed his eyes, then walked forward. Without looking at Choukichi, he reached out and grabbed the end of the towel, yanking it off. Down the hall, the two maids gasped and froze, then squealed. Choukichi yelped and covered himself as the maids hurried into the closest room. Chuckling, Seto continued on down the hallway, dropping the towel as he went and headed down the stairs to the bottom floor.

He was in the dining room, eating the breakfast the chef had set out, when Choukichi stormed in, completely dressed and pissed.

"Low blow, Kaiba!"

"It got you to say my name properly," Seto said idly, turning the page in his newspaper.

Choukichi sat down across from him, reaching forward with his chopsticks to angrily stab a piece of grilled fish. "Pity my dad wants me to protect you."

"You're more than welcome to leave."

Choukichi snorted and settled down, beginning to eat the breakfast with enthusiasm. Seto ignored him and went back to his paper, finishing his breakfast before getting to his feet. He gathered his briefcase and left, heading out to the Kaiba Corp. building. Nothing happened on the way there, but he was still waiting.

On Wednesday, something happened that he hadn't expected at all. He was walking back to his limo after taking dinner at one of his favorite restaurants when he saw familiar spiky hair. He looked up, surprised to see Yami...with Sentoryou. He'd only seen the older man a couple of times, but he still recognized him and it was clear he and Yami were together. They were talking as they walked along the sidewalk, and Yami was laughing at whatever Sentoryou was saying. As Seto watched, they turned towards a white limo parked along the curb and as they did, Sentoryou happened to glance up. He saw Seto and his eyes widened for a second before a smirk crossed his face. He opened the back door of the limo with one hand, his other going to the small of Yami's back as he guided the other into the back compartment of the limo.

"Mr. Kaiba?" It was his driver, sounding uncertain.

Seto turned away and got into his limo as his driver opened the back door. The driver went around and got into the driver's seat and they were off, heading for the mansion. As he rode, Seto considered what he'd just seen. Yami was dating Sentoryou? When had that happened?

He supposed it had happened after he'd insulted him and kicked him out. Rather a quick rebound on Yami's part, and then he reminded himself that it wasn't exactly a 'rebound' as they had not been dating. It had been casual sex and nothing more and sporadic even then. Nevertheless, during the whole ride he couldn't get the image of Sentoryou and Yami together out of his head. He'd been certain that Yami was suspicious of Sentoryou at best, and indignant of his attention at worse. What had changed?

Back at the mansion, Seto headed into his home office and logged onto his computer, getting some of his work done. But once he was done, his eyes drifted to the lowest drawer on the right. He reached out and plucked out the small camera inside. He hadn't looked at the camera since the day he'd used it to test the trackers in the robot-dog. Seto got to his feet and went into his bedroom, reaching up with his other hand to loosen his tie and pull if off over his head. He took off his jacket, switching the camera from hand to hand to do so, throwing the jacket onto the back of his chair along with his tie.

Seto set the camera down on the dresser and went into his walk-in closet, getting out of his suit and putting the clothes in the hamper before coming back into the room and getting some pajamas out of the dresser. He tugged them on, then climbed into bed and turned off the lights.

Two hours later, he still hadn't fallen asleep and, grumbling, he flipped the light back on and climbed out of bed. He crossed the room, picked up the camera, and sat down on the edge of his bed. Finally he turned it on and went into the photo memory. There was only one picture on it, and there it was, the picture of Yami in the pose he'd struck when trying to mess with Seto's head. He did look good like that.

Seto frowned and moved, shifting to lay back, propped up against his pillow, putting his free hand behind his head as he looked at the picture. Yami's flirty expression seemed to beckon him. It really was...hot.

Seto sighed and closed his eyes. Now that he'd severed ties with Yami, he realized just how far their relationship had gone. He was reluctant to think of it that way, but seeing Yami with Sentoryou made it obvious.

With his eyes closed, Seto could see Yami dancing, like the picture was suggesting. He had, after all, seen several of Yami's dances when he was still there at the Fire Room. Not to mention all the times they'd been together.

Seto frowned as he felt his cock twitch and harden. It hadn't been a week since he'd thrown Yami out, and it hadn't been much longer than that since the last time they'd slept together, but Yami was still greatly affecting him. With a growl, he arched his back and pushed his pajama bottoms and boxers down before wrapping his hand around his erection and slowly stroking. He'd been serious that time he'd asked Yami what it was about him that affected him so.

Eyes closed, Seto ran his hand up the length of his cock and slowly back down, hissing softly at the pulse of pleasure that rippled through him. In his mind, he was picturing one of Yami's dances, as well as the way he'd looked when they'd had sex. Drawing his hand faster over himself and tightening his fingers, he mentally altered between the dirty dancing and the bedroom. Yami's flat expression when he danced was somehow just as arousing as the 'into it' expression he got during their sessions.

Seto groaned low in his throat and arched up into his own hand, his breathing beginning to come unevenly. He ran the pad of his thumb across the head and light flickered through his brain, his chest rising and falling rapidly as his temperature skyrocketed. He rubbed himself faster, muscles pulling taut. In his mind, he could see Yami wiggling his ass on stage and then moaning in pleasure under him, his voice deep and husky. He could feel him, too, remembering the smooth skin and hard muscles, the heat of him. He groaned softly and then gritted his teeth, arching up again as he came.

He relaxed against the bed, panting, and raised his other hand up, rubbing it over his face and pushing his bangs back as he heaved a deep sigh.

"Kaiba, you're a fool," he muttered to himself. "He's not that important."

After a long moment, Seto climbed out of the bed and headed into his bathroom to clean up. He returned to the bedroom and picked up the camera, looking at the picture once more.

Moving his right thumb, he deleted it.

******

On Tuesday the 10th, just as he was promised, he received a call from Choukichi at Kaiba Corp. He wanted him to come home, immediately, which could only mean one thing. Seto hung up and got up, shutting off his computer and grabbed his briefcase, heading home.

When he arrived, Choukichi was nowhere in sight, so he headed inside and heard voice coming from the second floor hallway, floating down the wide front staircase. He went up, turning the corner to find Choukichi talking to one of the maids--one of the two who had seen him de-toweled Wednesday morning. He was leaning over her as she stood with her back to the wall, his forearm resting against the wall above her head, the classic hit-on pose. She was giggling like a schoolgirl at something Choukichi had said, but saw Seto standing there and her giggle cut off, eyes widening and face whitening.

"I think you have some cleaning to do," he said dangerously.

The maid nodded and hurried away. Choukichi growled and let his arm fall, turning to face him. "Nice cock block, K."

"Did you have a reason for me to come down here, other than to see you trying to get your rocks off with my st--"

Seto cut off the word, though it was already too late. Choukichi grinned at him. "Nah, K, you can keep your staff."

Seto growled at him and Choukichi waved for him to follow him, heading back down the stairs. Seto followed after him reluctantly.

"Dad got what you wanted," Choukichi said as they headed across the front foyer towards the door. A car Seto had never seen before was sitting in the driveway between the circular drop off and the eight-car garage in the back. "And there's a bonus."

He pulled some keys out of his pocket and unlocked the trunk, pulling up the lid.

A man was crammed inside, bound hand and foot and gagged. It was a man Seto had never seen before, a slight Japanese man with a scar on his neck like he'd once had it cut and survived, who was looking up at them with a mix of angry defiance and fright. Choukichi smacked him on the calf, then shut the trunk lid again, hopping up to sit on it.

"That's your tail. Skel named Jiro. I caught him last night sitting outside the mansion and persuaded him to stick around."

"He's been in there since last night?"

"Yep. Come on, we're heading out to Tetsuo's. Dad's got business to take care of, but Tetsuo's got the goods. Didn't think you'd like me bringing it here."

Seto glanced at the trunk again, then walked around the car and got into the passenger seat. Choukichi got into the driver's, turned the car on, put it in reverse, then slammed on the accelerator. The car roared backwards down the driveway, nearly sending Seto into the dashboard. Choukichi twisted the wheel at the end of the drive to put the car into the street, slammed on the brakes, put the car in drive, and rocketed off down the street.

He was like that the entire way. Seto said nothing, though he wondered how Choukichi had managed to stay out of jail driving the way he did, especially if he carried illegal stuff in the trunk. Or bound and gagged men.

Seto had thought they were going to Tetsuo's casino in Tokyo, but instead they went to Aomori, the capital of Aomori prefecture, where Domino existed. Choukichi took them out to a little cottage-style house all by itself on a half-acre of property and pulled backwards into the driveway. He parked the car and got out. Seto did as well, looking up as the front door opened. One of the same men that had been at the seafood restaurant with Tetsuo was standing there. When Choukichi waved him over, he came out, another guy taking his place as sentry. However, he had to move aside as Tetsuo appeared in the doorway, stepping down from the stoop and onto the walkway from the driveway to the front door.

"Got something, Choukichi?" he asked pleasantly. He saw Seto and smiled. "Hello again, Kaiba! You well?"

Choukichi opened the trunk and he and the goon hauled out the tail. The man groaned in pain as he was forced to move limbs that had no doubt locked up after being crammed in the trunk for at least twenty-four hours.

"Ah, hello, Jiro," Tetsuo said with the same pleasantness he'd greeted Choukichi and Seto with. "Please, come inside. Everyone."

He turned and hauled his portly self back up the stoop and into the house. Choukichi and the man pulled Jiro in and Seto followed, though it was the last thing in the world he wanted to do right then. If it weren't for the fact that Tetsuo had what he needed, he wouldn't have.

"I just came with Choukichi to get--"

"Yes, yes," Tetsuo said. "But first, I think we should talk to Jiro."

"I'd rather not."

Tetsuo ignored him and waved towards the dining room. He walked in, Choukichi and the goon dragged the muffedly-protesting Jiro behind him. Seto didn't move, until the second goon who had been standing the doorway came up behind him and started pushing him with the muzzle of a gun. Seto didn't think they'd shoot him as he was the one who was going to kill Takanawa, but he couldn't predict the thought processes of these nuts.

The dining room was a huge affair with a large oak table that had been pushed up against the wall, its chairs lined against the walls, except for three that were still arranged at the table. The other half of the room was now occupied with a strange contraption that consisted of a long, narrow table that had what looked like a giant table clamp used to hold things still when working on them, only outfitted with a motor that turned the crank mechanically rather than manually. Jiro was untied, only to be thrown across the table and tied down with straps. His head was placed in the clamp.

Seto looked at Tetsuo again, who had lowered himself into the center of the chairs at the table, which had a large plate of cookies and a bottle of expensive sake with three cups resting on the surface. He poured himself a cup and looked at Seto, gesturing for him to sit down with him.

"I've got things to do, Tetsuo--"

"Sit. Have some sake. This will only take a couple of minutes anyway."

Choukichi had sat down in the third chair and was served a cup of sake by Tetsuo. The two goons were standing as sentries at the two doors leading off from the dining room. Seto reluctantly sat down in the other chair, but he refused the sake.

"Did Akira get it?"

"Yep. I'm sure it'll be a perfect fit. Atsushi! Bring the plastique in here!"

That was an archaic term, but it turned out to be what Seto thought, a C-4 bomb about the size of a lighter. Next to it was a tiny remote detonator. It wouldn't make a very big explosion, but it would be enough if it were close. Seto was not an expert on bombs, but he had done some research and if he was right in his calculations, it would make a big enough explosion to destroy a room the size of an average bathroom. Put it right up against the target and it would take him out. The shockwave and shrapnel would even be enough to take out the whole group if they were packed together closely enough.

"This should be fine," Seto said. "I'll--"

"Jiro, you still work for our good friend Hiroshi, don't you?" Tetsuo said gently, taking his third cookie from the plate.

Choukichi reached out a pushed a switch on the contraption on the head of the table. With the whine of a motor, the crank on the clamp was twisted, closing on Jiro's head. The other man yelped and Choukichi flipped the switch again, taking a swig of his sake.

"Tetsuo, I don't--"

"Please be quiet, Kaiba, I can't hear Jiro. What was that, friend?"

"Yes," Jiro rasped. "Please, Tetsuo."

"Did he send you to watch Kaiba?"

The clamp was turned again. Jiro groaned through his teeth. His face was turning red from the pressure. "Yes!"

"I think you know what the plastique is for. Can you tell us of any way to get it to Takanawa?"

"No."

Tetsuo clicked his tongue. Choukichi flipped the switch a third time. The clamp tightened and Jiro screamed, his face red and oddly distorted.

"I can't!" he wailed with difficulty. "He's got eight of us still, on shifts to patrol, security systems now, codes to the private rooms of his family. Ain't no way anyone's getting in."

"Hmm. Well, we'll think of something. Thank you, Jiro."

Choukichi flipped the switch again, then settled back in his chair, picking up a cookie and eating it. Tetsuo was on his fifth. The motor whined, turning the crank relentlessly.

"These cookies are good," Choukichi said to Tetsuo.

"Made by the little woman."

The crank twisted and Jiro screamed. His face was bulging from the pressure, and as Seto watched, the skin of his forehead split open like the skin of a squeezed tomato. Blood rushed down. The crank continued and Seto shut his eyes, though that didn't block out the screams.

Or the wet crunch.

"Kaiba." That was Tetsuo. "Kai~ba," he said again, in a sing-song voice.

The motor stopped. Seto turned around in his chair so that his back was to the other table across the room and opened his eyes. Tetsuo was facing that way now, too, chewing yet another cookie, looking at him with a smile. Choukichi was leaning around Tetsuo--he had to lean far--and looking at him with a goading grin. And from across the room came a steady drip, drip, drip.

Seto cleared his throat. "I'll take this and get it done."

Tetsuo chuckled, taking another swallow of sake. "You might want to walk your little copy-dog in while Takanawa's reading his kiddy a bed-time story."

Seto paused with his hand on the block of C-4 on the table. He kept his back to the other, dripping table.

"That would take out the kid."

Tetsuo and Choukichi laughed as if he'd made a joke. "That's the idea," Choukichi said.

"Kaiba, Kaiba. You're a tough man...mostly...but you're just not a gangster. Think about it. You take out the boy so he doesn't come after you later. Obvious."

Seto stared at the cheerful, cookie-eating mob boss who was telling him to blow up a five-year-old child along with his father.

Choukichi got to his feet. "Off we go. Come on, K, I'll get ya home so you can finish that dog."

Seto picked up the block of plastic explosives and the tiny remote detonator and put them in the pockets of his jacket, still staring at Tetsuo, who was still eating cookies and drinking sake while a man with a crushed head dripped blood all over his dining room floor. Choukichi came around Tetsuo's chair and steered Seto through the dining room door to the living room.

"Don't worry, K," he said, putting his arm around Seto's shoulders. "Me, I puked my first kill, and it wasn't even crunching a dude's head."

"Get off me."

Choukichi chuckled, but took his arm back, leading him back outside to the car. He drove like a suicidal maniac all the way back, ignoring Seto's demands that he slow down, ignoring the logic that if they were pulled over, the cop would find C-4 on them. But whatever luck that kept Choukichi from being pulled over continued on the twenty-minute ride back to Domino and he pulled into the parking lot of the lab where his copy-dog was. By now it was almost nine in the evening and no one was there. Seto went inside, grabbed the dog and its remote from the locker he'd kept it in, and returned to the car to have Choukichi take him home to the mansion.

Choukichi pulled up to the curb in front of the long, winding driveway and put the car in park. "Well, I guess this is goodbye, K. I did my bit, now you do yours."

Seto opened his door and climbed out.

"Hey, K!"

Seto paused and turned around, leaning down to peer into the car. Choukichi grinned at him.

"Any chance I can get the number of that little maid?"

Seto shut the door and watched as the car took off like a shot. He turned and started up his driveway, holding the dog in one hand and its remote in the other, the C-4 and its remote in his coat pockets. He studied the dog, making sure that its appearance was precisely that as the one Takanawa's kid had, at least to the best of his memory. He also was making sure that the C-4 would fit in the compartment he'd made in the dog's back, and was sure that it would. Akira had come through.

But could Seto blow up the child with the father?

Up at the end of his driveway, a prickling sensation of something out of place made him raise his head. A flash of colors where it shouldn't be caught his attention and he walked closer, his eyes widening in shock at something that really shouldn't be where it was.

Yami was hanging from his front door.

tbc…

A/N: Again, :-O


	75. Chapter 75

Chapter Seventy-Five:

Seto was so shocked that he just stood there and stared for a moment before hurrying up the walkway to the wide front stoop. His first impression from the end of the driveway had been that they'd hung Yami to death, but then he realized that Yami was hanging by his arms. Seto dumped the robot dog and its remote into the bushes and raised his hand, pressing his fingers into Yami's neck to feel for a pulse.

Yami moaned softly and briefly opened his eyes before closing them again, coming to only to pass out again right away. Well, he was alive. Seto looked at what had been done to him. An enormous metal spike, like a railroad spike, had been driven into the front door and from it was hung a link in a chain big enough to hold the anchor to a medium-sized boat. In fact, it looked like an anchor chain, very thick and rusted. Yami's arms had been forced over his head and that chain was wound around and around them from wrists to elbows, suspending him from the spike. The ends had not been secured, but the chain was so heavy and wound so many times that it had not come undone. The roughness of the rusted chain had scraped Yami's arms savagely, sending trickles of blood running down.

Seto hesitated about getting him down, not sure what all had been done to him, but the fact that he was still living forced his hand and he wrapped one arm around Yami's legs to brace him, reaching up with the other hand to wriggle and yank the spike out of the door. It came out after several minutes and Yami fell forward into his arms, the chain thankfully going over Seto's head rather than striking him. Yami's arms were tied around his neck, his head hanging forward on his shoulder, completely limp.

Seto turned and carefully laid Yami down, choosing the softer ground of the flowerbed rather than the walkway. Unhooking Yami's arms from his neck, he carefully unwound the heavy chain and tossed it away. Yami lay in the dirt without moving, though he was still breathing. Seto reached into his jacket and pulled out his cell phone, calling for an ambulance.

He would have to ask him to know for sure, but Seto was certain that Yami had been attacked by Takanawa. Seto was surprised Yami had been allowed to live, rather than being chopped up and delivered in a box. Takanawa had probably told him to tell Seto something, that was surely the only reason, though Takanawa had shown some unexpected mercy leaving Yami whole like he had. Not that that wasn't a good thing.

While waiting for the ambulance, Seto took the C-4 and its remote out of his jacket. It couldn't be found on him, though he knew how dangerous it was to leave it there. He had no choice and dug a small hole in the earth beneath the bush closest to the door, burying both. Maybe with Jiro having had his skull crushed in Tetsuo's kitchen, there was no one watching right now. He could only hope.

The paramedics arrived and loaded Yami onto a stretcher, while Seto filled them partly on what had happened. Now was a time he did wish he had Yami's ability to use the Items, so that he could changed the memories of the people. Maybe Yami could do that later, if he survived whatever had been done to him.

At the hospital, Yami was admitted while Seto filled out his paperwork and answered questions. First to the hospital staff, and then, because it was an attack, the police. A half-hour later, a doctor came to find him.

"Hello, Mr. Kaiba," she said pleasantly. "Mr. Moto is going to be fine. I'm afraid I can't tell you anything about his injuries, because you are not family. Would you like to come see him? He's awake."

Seto hesitated, then nodded and followed the doctor to Yami's room. "I can't tell you the state of his condition, but I will tell you, don't jostle him."

Seto nodded, though he certainly wasn't going to be giving Yami a hug. He'd make sure he was all right, ask what happened, and tell him to erase everyone's memories when he could, then leave. He had to get home and make sure that his bomb had not been stolen. He also needed to figure out just how to get the dog to Takanawa, because they were down to brass tacks.

Yami proved to be awake, but quite lethargic. He was suffering from his dehydration and the cocktail of fluids and painkillers the doctors had given him. He looked at Seto dazedly when he walked in, accompanied by the doctor, and didn't really respond to his presence. Seto sighed and pulled up a moulded plastic chair beside the bed as the doctor left the room.

"Yami, who did this to you?"

"Takanawa," Yami slurred faintly. He shifted aimlessly and closed his eyes. "Hurt," he announced, moving his hand towards his chest. He may have had broken ribs.

"Don't, you need to stay still."

Yami dropped his hand and opened his eyes again, looking at Seto hazily. He seemed to gain a little more idea of what was going on and spoke more clearly, though he was clearly still dazed.

"Nhh. What are you doing here, anyway?"

"You were hanging from the front door. You made such a weird-looking decoration I decided to give you to someone else."

A faint smile touched Yami's lips as he closed his eyes again. "Mm, thank you. Has anyone called Aibou or Joey?"

"I'm sure the doctors are trying to get in touch with them."

"I don't want them to know."

"They kind of have to call," Seto said. "Yugi's your 'brother' so they have to. They're going to find out eventually anyway when you show up with your arm in a sling and these bruises on you."

Both of Yami's arms, from elbow to wrist, were marred with link-shaped black bruises as if the chain had sunk into his flesh and tattooed him, as well as the raw scrapes and cuts that were now clean but still fresh. For a moment he seemed to slip out of awareness again, looking blurrily around the room before he focused on Seto again.

"I just don't want them to worry. They're finally getting on with their lives."

Seto ignored that. "How long were you hanging there?"

"They hung me up a few minutes after you and the other man left."

So Takanawa had been watching him. Jiro had disappeared, of course, having been locked up in Choukichi's trunk all night. Surely they had been watching him find Yami and get him down. So they had to have seen him bury the bomb in the bushes.

Except maybe not. Seto's driveway was long, it curved around an island of decorative bushes, and there was the gate that surrounded the property. Seto would have been hidden from view once he knelt down to examine Yami, and therefore they might not have seen him bury the bomb. If they did enter his property after he had left, they might overlook the disturbed earth in favor of the dog and its remote in the bushes.

"I have to get back," he said to Yami, standing up. "Yugi and Wheeler will come get you."

Yami closed his eyes drowsily again, nodding. Seto looked at him for a moment, then turned and left the room. He headed home immediately, having to take a cab.

His driver did not answer his phone.

He was tense the whole ride home, wondering what he would find when he went inside his house. His servants were surely have objected to having a living man hung from the front door, but there had been no one around. His driver was not answering his phone. He could only imagine walking inside his house to find a dozen shot-up bodies. And he wouldn't put it past Takanawa to have had his door rigged up to blow up on him when he opened it.

Seto walked up cautiously to his front stoop, to find the dog, remote, bomb, and detonator all still where he'd left them. It had been only an hour since he'd left the house, so maybe they hadn't had time. They may have split the scene, expecting Seto to have had called the police.

Because of the bomb being buried in the bushes, Seto had lied to the police he'd talked to at the hospital, telling them he'd found Yami chained up in an alley he was passing while walking to Kaiba Corp. from a restaurant. They had gone to investigate, though he knew they were suspicious of his story. And when they would find no trace of rust or blood in the alley, they'd come back to pick him up. But he'd bought himself some time until Yami could get strong again and fix their memories.

Thankful for some luck finally on his side, Seto found the dog, its remote, the bomb and its remote, all still where he'd left them. He picked them all up, then studied his front door. Other than the gaping hole where the spike had been driven, nothing looked disturbed. Peering more closely at the lock, he saw no evidence of it having been messed with, but that didn't mean anything.

On a whim, he pulled out his cell phone and tried calling his driver again. This time, the man answered.

"Mr. Kaiba!" he said. "I'm so sorry, sir. These men came to your house and threatened to shoot everyone if we didn't leave. I'm so sorry, but I've got two kids and--"

"Enough," Seto interrupted. "I understand. Stay away until I call you again."

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry, sir."

Seto hung up on him and looked at his front door again. If the mobsters had come upon the house while his staff was still here, then they had gotten inside, in order to scare everyone out. But would Takanawa place a bomb somewhere in order to blow him up? That would be just the irony Seto had come to expect, but what gain would it give Takanawa, other than to have him dead? He still wouldn't know where Akira and Tetsuo were, or what they were planning, plus, if that was what he was planning on doing to Seto, why bother trying to give him a message by hanging Yami from his front door like a Christmas wreath?

Well, Seto was not known for being easily frightened. He pulled his key out of his pocket and strode boldly forward, unlocking his door and stepping inside. He wasn't blown to bits, and nothing appeared to be particularly out of order inside.

A quick tour of the house proved that though there were no booby traps awaiting him, Takanawa had had his men steal. Seto's home laptop was missing. Probably Takanawa had taken it to see if he could find out anything on it, as if Seto would have been dumb enough to leave himself little reminders about Akira and the bomb. Fool. As if he'd even be able to get past Seto's security passwords in the first place.

Once he'd satisfied himself that he wasn't immediately going to die, Seto walked into his dining room and set the dog on the table. He popped open its casing and slid the bomb inside, then put the casing back into place. After that he tried the dog again, making it walk its way across the table before turning it off again. Of course, he couldn't test the bomb, but it seemed as if everything was in working order.

A glance at the clock told Seto it was almost midnight. Scrubbing a hand across his eyes, he stood up and retrieved the dog, taking it upstairs with him to his room. He needed to get some sleep. Tomorrow was IT and he was going to need all the rest he could get. There was no way it was going to be easy.

In his room, he set the dog on the nightstand, and then pulled the gun he kept in there and laid it out, where he could reach it if he needed it.

******

Seto jerked awake as his bedroom door flew open. He grabbed the gun from its place on the nightstand and whipped it around, pointing the muzzle at the person in the doorway, intending to shoot until he saw who it was.

Yami was standing there, looking in at him. In his hands was Katana's katana, unsheathed. He had one forearm resting up above his head against the frame, the sheath in that hand, arcing over his head so that the tip of the sheath rested almost against the opposite shoulder. Hip cocked slightly, his other hand held the unsheathed blade at his side, end point-down. He studied Seto with a cold expression that briefly flickered with amusement.

"Are you going to shoot me?"

Seto stared at him for a second. His stance was strange, and yet appealing. He also looked disquieting. Seto lowered the gun. "What the hell are you doing busting in here like that?"

"They have my Puzzle. I want it back."

Seto realized that Yami's chest was indeed bare of the Puzzle and had been the previous day. He didn't always wear it anymore, so Seto hadn't paid that detail any attention. Scowling at Yami, he set the gun back on the nightstand--realizing with internal embarrassment that he'd forgotten to take off the safety anyway--and climbed out of bed. Stalking into his walk-in closet, he began changing into some regular clothes.

"Are you going to tell me what happened to you, or do you just expect me to help you go after your stupid necklace half-assed?"

"I was heading home Monday night when a car jumped the curb and nearly struck me. It was Katana, Max, and Andrew. They forced me into the car and took off, taking me to a warehouse out on the wharf. Takanawa was there and he had his fools tie me to a chair. If they hadn't immediately taken my Puzzle, I would have Mind Crushed the lot of them, but they did." Seto could hear Yami heave a sigh from inside the closet. "Takanawa wanted me to tell him what you were planning. I told him I didn't know. They kept me there all night and day, torturing me, but I still didn't tell them anything."

Yami said this without any emotion, but Seto came back out and looked at him. "What did they do to you?"

Without changing his stance, Yami turned the katana around in his hand so that the grip was backwards, leaving the tips of his thumb and index free, and used them to lift up his shirt, which Seto realized belatedly was unusually untucked.

So no broken bones, but what had been done was bad enough. Across Yami's chest and stomach were a number of ugly, round marks. Seto knew they were burn marks, like from a cigarette. He also had a series of small puncture wounds, as if someone had taken a blade as small as a penknife and dug it into him. Intense pain, but no chance of killing the victim. There were also the chain bruises that were still a vivid, unsettling black.

Yami lowered his shirt again, turning the katana back around the right way. "I took care of the memories."

Seto blinked and lifted his gaze to Yami's face. He'd been caught off-guard by the patchwork of abuse of Yami's skin, but got his composure.

"Good."

He was dressed now and he went over to the nightstand to get the dog, its remote, and his gun. He put the gun and the remote into the pockets of his coat, but the dog he had to carry. Turning around, he walked forward towards Yami.

"We'll go and put the dog in Takanawa's house right now."

Yami suddenly raised the sword, the point a couple of inches from Seto's face, effectively stopping him in his tracks. Yami's eyes burned.

"I want my Puzzle."

"All right, we'll get the damn Puzzle, damn it. Lower the sword, you freak."

Yami moved the blade, but up, sliding it into the sheath which he was still holding above his head. He then turned around and headed down the hallway with the sword now held at his side. Seto followed after him, his eyes on him. Yami was clearly very angry, and Seto knew that in this case, Yami could be almost as much of a danger as a help. He was determined to get his Puzzle back and get revenge, which meant he probably wasn't thinking too clearly.

"Is there any reason they left you alive?" Seto asked, ignoring the harsh implication of the words.

He walked into his home office to get the tracker remotes out of the safe he had behind a painting. One of the most common places to keep a safe, but it was still secure. And inside were all the things he had locked up, unmolested, including the mansion's deed, his shares to Kaiba Corp. and the tracker remotes. He picked up all three, even though he knew that at least one of the trackers had been found. It was time to see whether Takanawa was still in Matsubase.

"Takanawa wanted me to tell you he's done playing games with you," Yami said, standing in the doorway with his arms folded, the katana still held in his right hand. He looked disconcertingly like Katana himself. "He knows you're not going to kill Akira or Tetsuo. You're supposed to meet him tonight at the warehouse at six so you can tell him where their hideouts are. And then, of course, he'll kill you."

"Of course."

Seto glanced at the grandfather clock downstairs as the two of them headed to the stairs leading down to the garage. Ten-thirty. He'd slept later than he'd thought.

In the garage, Seto chose his white BWM, one of the few cars that had survived the last few months. The two of them got in, Yami holding the katana with its point resting on the floor, straight up with his hand balancing it. His eyes were staring straight through the windshield and didn't shift even when Seto turned on the motor and drove up and out of the garage. Seto glanced at him as he drove along the streets, heading for the KC tower that had the Blue Eyes White Jet. Of the three trackers, all three were working.

And all three were in different locations.

However, one was in Matsubase, so they had to go there first. Takanawa could have found all three, left one in Matsubase and put the other two in other places, moving his family to a fourth. But Seto doubted it, so to there they were going.

"Matsubase?" Yami asked. "Do you really think he is still there?"

"The bastard has been getting cocky lately. Yes, I do."

Yami nodded, sitting silenty in the passenger seat, his eyes staring straight ahead once more. He was acting creepy, of which Seto was not surprised. He had been kidnapped and tortured, his Puzzle stolen from him, and he was already hypertense from everything that had happened to him and his friends. Seto was certain he was about to snap, but there was little he could do about it. If Yami wanted someone to comfort him, he had Sentoryou.

"Do you have any of the other Items with you?" Seto asked. "Otherwise this is going to be a waste--"

As he spoke the front of Yami's shirt shimmered and the Ring appeared. "This will be enough."

Seto nodded. At the KC tower, they got into the Jet. He powered up the engines and off the flew, arriving at Matsubase at two in the afternoon. Calling en route, Seto got permission to land his Jet on the tarmac of a private landing strip outside of the prefecture, and paid extra to have a car for his use left there. The car was a simple Honda and by two-fifteen he and Yami were driving into Matsubase, heading for the street Takanawa's mansion was on. They parked on the street it connected to and got out.

"Yami, I just had a thought," Seto said, looking down the length of the street towards the mansion, which was the size of a dollhouse from here. "Can you make me invisible with you?"

Yami looked at him in surprise, then considered. "I have never tried. As far as I know, Bakura has only used it to make himself invisible, but I will try."

He reached out and grabbed Seto's hand. A look of concentration appeared on his face and he squeezed his eyes shut tightly. A strange tingling sensation spread up Seto's arm and across his body; looking down, he saw that he had gone invisible. He couldn't even see his own legs.

"It worked," he said to Yami, whom he couldn't see beside him.

"Keep your hand in mine," Yami said dismissively, tugging him forward. "Let go and the field will break."

Seto didn't particularly like having to hold hands with Yami like schoolgirls all the way down the sidewalk towards the Takanawa mansion, but it beat having a bullet in the brain. At the wall of the mansion, they walked up to the gate, where Seto boosted Yami up to the top. By switching his holds, Yami managed to keep Seto invisible by moving his hand first to Seto's shoulder, then taking his hand back when he'd climbed up onto the wall. Seto couldn't see him, but he imagined Yami had to twist around awkwardly to do so. Still holding Yami's hand in his, he used his feet and his other hand to crawl up the iron gate onto the wall beside Yami.

They jumped down together and crossed the yard. At the front door, Seto simply pushed the doorbell. That would be sufficient to get someone to come down, as the gate was supposed to be locked. A few seconds later, the front door did open, by Andrew. He was holding a gun in his hand and had an almost panicked look on his face. He looked right through Yami and Seto, his eyes sweeping the front yard.

Seto pulled his gun out of his jacket and pistol-whipped Andrew right in the head. He went down with a faint, muffled grunt and no more, his gun clattering to the floor. Seto stepped over him, pulling Yami along with him, tucking his gun back into his jacket so he could stoop to pick up Andrew's.

"That was easy," Seto muttered. He looked up and around the front entrance hall. No one else had come to investigate the noise of the bell. "Is there no one else here?"

"Doesn't seem like it," Yami said.

The two of them checked anyway. Staying invisible, they completed a circuit of the house, though it was an incomplete one. Jiro had been right, Takanawa had codes on the doors to his, his wife's, and his son's bedrooms, but the house was empty of everyone but Andrew, who was still out cold on the floor when they got back. Seto chuckled to himself as they came back into the entrance hall.

"Unbelievable. After all of this, it's time for us to have the luck."

"Don't get confident," Yami warned.

He sounded breathless. Suddenly he let go of Seto's hand, becoming visible at the same time Seto did, and stumbled forward, planting his hands on the dining room table. Bending his head forward, he appeared to be panting as if he'd run a mile.

"What's wrong with you?" Seto asked.

"It takes a lot of energy to be invisible." Yami turned around, his face pale. "And two moreso."

"Stay here then and I'll go put the dog up in Takanawa's bedroom."

Yami nodded, not bothering to ask how he planned to do that with the code box on the door, and Seto turned around, but headed through the kitchen into the garage. Inside, he looked around and found a slot-head screwdriver, electrician's tape, and a pair of wirecutters before leaving back through the kitchen and heading up the stairs to the third floor. At Takanawa's bedroom's door, Seto stepped up to the security box. It would have daunted most people, but Seto was a technological genius. He couldn't break the code, but he could get around it.

Using the slot-head, he prized the casing off the control box, exposing the wires. After studying them closely, he used the wirecutters to snip two and touched the ends together. The little indicator light on the box turned from red to green, and the door unlocked. Smirking, Seto turned the handle and walked inside. He didn't stay to look around, only walked inside and shoved the dog under the bed. He left the room and back out into the hallway, turning back to the box. He used the tape to tape the wires back together, then jammed the casing plate back on. It had a small crack in it from where Seto had used the screwdriver, but as it was on the bottom, and the box was just above the doorknob, Seto doubted Takanawa would see it.

Seto headed back downstairs and returned the tools to the garage. He came back out to find that Yami was no longer in the dining room. Cursing, he went to find him, certain he was looking for his missing Puzzle. In the second floor hallway was a grandfather clock similar to the one Seto had at home, and he saw that it was almost four.

"Yami!" he shouted. "Hurry up, it'll be after--"

"I'm in here," Yami said, appearing in the doorway of a bedroom two doors down from where Seto was standing.

"Did you find your damn pendant? Because we have to go before they get back."

"Too late for that," Yami said, looking back into the bedroom.

Seto walked forward, peering into the room. It had a large front window and through that, Seto could see a four door black sedan pulling through the gate. Seto cursed.

Their luck had already run out.

tbc…

A/N: Like I was going to kill Yami… here.


	76. Chapter 76

Chapter Seventy-Six:

Seto couldn't believe this. They get the damn dog to Takanawa's house, only for the bastard to come home while they were still inside. This time there was going to be no going invisible and sneaking out; once his buddies found Andrew lying on the floor, they were going to panic and fan out, searching every inch of the house.

"Make us invisible," Seto ordered Yami. "We can still sneak out." Yami said nothing. Seto turned to look at him, glaring. "Hello?"

"I can't," Yami said coldly. "I don't have the energy."

Downstairs, very faint, Seto heard several car doors slamming shut. "Great. Then what are we going to do?"

Yami stepped forward down the hallway, drawing the katana from its sheath. Seto stared at him, wondering what the hell he was thinking. If even one of those men downstairs had a gun--and there wasn't the slightest possbility that even one of them *didn't* have a gun--then Yami's sword was going to be pretty useless. But he seemed determined to try that foolishness. In fact, ever since Yami had first barged into Seto's bedroom that morning, he'd seemed pretty determined to fight rather than think. Like he had to prove something. Had Seto hurt his feelings the previous week that badly?

Then he realized that, no, he hadn't hurt Yami's feelings. He'd injured his pride, and that was different. But it didn't justify him getting himself killed. Seto grabbed his shoulder.

"Stop that. There's no way you're going to be able to handle all of them, what are you thinking?"

Yami looked at him over his shoulder. Downstairs came the expected yells and curses as Andrew's friends found him lying on the floor. Yami glanced briefly towards the stairs leading down to the first floor, then back at Seto, sheathing the sword in his hands without looking.

"Then what do you plan on doing?" he asked.

Seto didn't like hiding. Like Yami, it really did upset his pride to have to bury out of sight like a frightened rabbit, but common sense won and he pulled on Yami's shoulder, pulling him towards the stairs leading back up to the third floor. Together they ascended them, then Seto led Yami towards what he'd noticed the first time he'd been up here, a hatch in the ceiling leading to the attic. From up there, if the goons thought to look they'd be pretty much stuck, but it would give Seto another few minutes to think and be the last place the goons were likely to explore.

Reaching up, Seto pulled on the rope, dragging the hatch and its ladder downwards and climbed up, peering up into the attic. He cursed again when he saw that it was jammed full, leaving only a space about three feet long and a foot and a half wide right in front of the hatch, but it would have to do.

"Get up here," he hissed at Yami, who was still standing at the foot of the ladder, facing towards the stairs.

Climbing up into the cramped space, Seto turned around and sat down on the wooden pathway that served as a catwalk the length of the attic. He didn't have enough space to even stand hunched-over, so he had to sit. Yami appeared at the top of the ladder and scooted up into the remainder of the space in front of Seto's crossed legs, turning around to pull the ladder back up into place.

"This is much better," he said sarcastically.

Seto scowled, but didn't respond, looking around in an attempt to think of the best way out of there. The far side of the attic did boast a window big enough that even he could slide through it, but then it would be at least a twenty-five foot drop to the ground.

"How long will it take you to build up enough energy to go ghost again?" he hissed to Yami, who was sitting in front of him with his legs drawn up to his chest and the sword once again unsheathed in his right hand.

Yami turned his head to look at him over his shoulder. One of the spikes of his hair hit Seto in the face and he growled, batting the point-lock away. Yami didn't notice, shrugging his shoulders, and shaking his head, looking back towards the hatch.

"I don't know. Not long, but..."

Yami tilted his head back to look up at the ceiling, which was slanted and raftered, then around the attic.

"Maybe we can--"

His spiky hair was still a bane to Seto. With him turning his head, the thick spikes kept hitting Seto in the face. Before he could stop it, the tip of one of the spikes went up his nose and he sneezed. Yami flinched, leaning forward and turning his head to glare at him, offended.

"Ugh! Kaiba, that was disgusting!"

"Your damn hair went up my nose," Seto snarled back. "If we get out of this, I'm going to hold you down and shave you bald."

Yami started to reply, but the sounds of people talking in the hallway below them stilled them both. To Seto, it sounded like Max, Shin, and Daisuke were all down there together, having a heated discussion.

"If we haven't found them by now, we're not going to," Daisuke said.

"They'd better hope I don't find them," Max snarled. "I'll tear them apart for what they did to my brother."

"I still say I heard something up here," Shin said. "We're not giving up until we've looked through every inch of this house. Or do you want to be the one to tell the boss we gave up half-way through, Daisuke?"

Seto tensed, sitting behind Yami. His mind was racing, but he couldn't think of any way to escape. Even if they could reach the window, the drop would be too great. And even if Daisuke was still on their side, they couldn't fight their way through the rest of them.

Yami suddenly reached back and grabbed Seto's hand. The tingling started again, even as Yami faded from view in front of Seto's legs. Hardly a moment later, the drop hatch of attic was pulled open. Shin's head popped into the space, looking around. The two of them held very still, and Shin disappeared down the ladder. He let the trap door close again and the three of them started arguing.

"Nothing up there. I guess they are gone."

"Then let's not tell Takanawa," Daisuke said. "He's pissed enough as it is about Kaiba getting in the first time. He blamed it on you last time, didn't he, Shin?"

"That wasn't my fault," Shin snapped.

"Calm down. I'm just saying, you want to be the one to tell him that Kaiba got in a second time? Be my guest, 'cause I sure as hell ain't."

Max sounded hesitant. "We don't, and he finds out--"

"How's he going to find out? Tell Andrew to keep his mouth shut and no one else has to know. It's just you, me, and Shin here. You know how tense he is lately. You want to go out like Hans? 'Cause Katana's just itching to carve someone up since he wasn't allowed to shred Kaiba's friend."

"Ugh, I hated that little creep," Shin said with a shudder. "What kinda guy takes a cigarette to the chest without flinching?"

"All right, I'll talk to Andrew. But if the boss does find out, you're on your own, Dai."

Their voices faded out. Seto smirked to himself. "I guess Daisuke is still on our side."

Yami pulled on his hand. "Let's go."

Still keeping the both of them invisible, Yami pushed the trap door down again. The two of them descended the ladder, sneaking through the house. Judging by the voices on the ground floor, the group was now in the dining room. Andrew and Max were arguing about listening to Daisuke, while Shin and Daisuke insisted it was smarter than telling their boss they'd fouled up again. Yami and Seto walked towards the front door, but Seto pulled on Yami's hand to get him to stop.

"Alarm," he hissed.

The house's alarm system had the word 'armed' on its code box. If they tried to open the door, the alarm would sound and though the two of them would probably not be caught, having two instances of the house being broken into would probably destroy Daisuke's attempt to get the group to stay silent. Takanawa would panic and move again, immediately, and Seto couldn't be certain that they'd take the copy-dog or the chance to blow him up before he hustled his family out of the way.

"All right, fine!" Andrew shouted. "Just shut the hell up, I've got a killer headache. I don't know how he did it without me seeing him, but that bastard Kaiba is mine, and I don't care what Katana wants."

He suddenly came stalking out of the room, heading up the stairs. Max was right on his heels. Daisuke left the room right after and Seto pulled on Yami's hand, urging him to follow along with him after Daisuke. He didn't want to take the risk of going visible in front of Daisuke. Despite what he'd just done, it wasn't indicative that he was still on their side and Seto still believed trusting in others set you up for a fall. But they didn't have a choice.

Seto let go of Yami's hand, becoming visible. "Daisuke."

The ugly man jumped, turning around and reaching for his gun in his coat. Yami had remained invisible and Seto knew he was ready to intervene if the goon wasn't still an ally. However, Daisuke stopped his movement and stared at him in open surprise.

"What are you doing here?" he said in a hushed voice.

"Got stuck when you arrived," Seto responded. "Still on my side?"

"I'm on nobody's side but my own." Daisuke reached into the other side of his coat and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He smirked at Seto. "But I sure as hell can't help it if you sneak out when I open the door for a smoke."

Daisuke walked down the hall and turned into a conservancy that opened up onto the backyard. He decoded the alarm and stepped outside. Seto headed out after him, making sure to open the door more than necessary, feeling Yami duck under his arm and slip outside with him. Daisuke leaned against the outside wall and lit up his cigarette, taking a deep pull on it.

"Plan still on?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"Just don't kill me, too. Listen, your buddy was let go so Takanawa can use him to find Akira and Tetsuo and get the drop on them. He knows about the casino and the restaurant, but not where they live."

"Yami has no idea where they live and neither do I. Even if he did, how is he supposed to help Takanawa?"

"No idea. Takanawa doesn't tell us all everything. Keeping things to himself keeps him on top, you know? In any event, I'd be avoiding your friend until you can get this done."

"I'm doing it tonight."

"Thanks for the heads up. Better get going."

Seto nodded and turned to walk around the side of the house. As soon as he'd turned the corner, he felt Yami grab his hand and the magick washed over his body again. He glanced back to see if Daisuke was following, but he wasn't.

Invisible, the pair of them crossed the front yard to the gate, climbing up it in the same manner they had before. On the other side, they headed back to the car. Seto pulled his hand from Yami's, hoping that was the only time they needed to do that.

Yami became visible at the same moment. The katana slid from his fingers and he stumbled sideways, and hit the car. His legs buckled and he slid down the passenger door to sit on the grass, breathing harshly. His face was an unhealthy shade of white and he had his eyes closed, dragging in breaths through his mouth. Seto stood and stared down at him.

"Are you going to be all right?" he asked finally.

"Yes," Yami said in a hoarse voice.

Seto reached down and picked up the katana, then reached down and grabbed Yami's arm, pulling him up to his feet. Yami frowned, but didn't say anything. Seto opened the passenger door and Yami got in, taking the katana from him. Seto went around and got into the driver's side, taking off. He didn't know when Takanawa would get home, but as soon as he was, Seto was going to detonate the bomb. This good luck wasn't going to last long and he needed to get it over with before it soured on him again.

They had no problems getting back to the Blue Eyes White Jet. Seto flew back to Domino and parked on top of the KC Tower, turning off the engines and popping the cockpit lid. He stood up, then turned to look in the passenger seat.

Yami was fast asleep, his head resting back against the seat. Using the Ring as long as he had had clearly exhausted him. Seto stared at him a minute, then reached over the back of his own seat to shake him. It took a couple of tries, but Yami finally came awake, unbuckling his seatbelt and climbing to his feet. Seto vaulted over the edge of the Jet, watching in surprise as Yami did the same. This time and the last time, he'd vaulted rather than get on the wing and hop down, like he had before. Again, trying to prove his strength.

Unfortunately he was so tired that he lurched on the contact with the ground. He would have fallen over if Seto hadn't caught him and steadied him. He could have poked more fun at him for it, but he didn't.

"Come on, I'll take you home."

Yami nodded and followed Seto down to where the car was parked. On the ride to the apartment complex, he dozed again. Seto had to shake him awake again when he'd pulled up to the curb in front of his apartment. Watching him hand-wash his face in an attempt to wake up, Seto sighed.

"What?" Yami asked, lifting his head and looking at him.

Reluctantly, looking through the windshield rather than at him, Seto said, "You know, I kicked you out the other night to try and get you out of harm's way." He let his gaze drift to the black chain-links still tattooing Yami's forearms. "Fat lot of good that did."

Yami stared at him a second, then unbuckled his seatbelt, pushing open his door. "I don't need you to protect me, Kaiba." He climbed out of the car, then paused and peered back in. A half-smile crossed his face. "But...thank you."

Seto watched as he started to shut the door when he suddenly stopped, looking over his shoulder. Seto heard it too, the loud sounds of shouting. It was coming from the house and was punctuated by a crash. Seto shoved open his door as Yami let go of his, running across the lawn to the front door. Seto followed him, catching up as he grabbed the doorknob and pushed open the front door.

The scene in front of them drew them both up short. In the front room were Joey, Yugi, and a man Seto had never seen before. A kid who looked like a rocker. Yugi was shouting at Joey and the new guy, who were fighting, rolling around on the floor and throwing punches at each other. The crash had been the coffee table being upset.

"Stop it!" Yugi was shouting.

"What's going on?!" Yami demanded.

Yugi grabbed the rocker kid, who had managed to get on top of Joey, but who was being held off by Joey's hands on his biceps near his elbows. Yugi pulled and the other man let himself be dragged off. Joey surged to his feet, but he didn't attack again, standing where he was with his fists clenched and breathing hard, a scowl on his face. The rocker was doing much the same, held back by Yugi.

"Enough," the rocker said, shrugging Yugi's hands off him. "Look, I don't need this. Yugi, you're way hot, but that media face of yours must be a lie, because you're too damn wild even for me. Later."

"What does that mean?" Yami asked.

"Kazuya, wait," Yugi said.

Kazuya ignored him, pushing past both Yami and Seto to head outside. Joey stepped forward towards Yugi.

"Yug', I'm sorry, but--"

Yugi stunned them all by drawing his fist back and punching Joey across the face. The blond yelped and Yami hurried forward, grabbing Yugi as he stepped menacingly towards Joey. Yugi started shouting.

"Who the hell do you think you are to tell me what to do with my life?! I can date whoever I want to, whenever I want to! You spend all this time pushing me away and then you dare to break me up with my boyfriend?!"

Yami was still holding onto Yugi. Joey had straightened up, holding his jaw where Yugi's fist had connected, looking at him with a look of utter shock.

"Yugi--"

"Get off me, Yami!"

Yugi squirmed free enough to twist around and shove Yami hard, sending him into the side of the couch.

"Yugi, what the hell?!" Joey demanded. "What is the matter with you?"

"You! You want to fucking strip me down for meddling with your family life, then you go and do the same thing with my love life? Who I date is none of your fucking business and I'll do what I want to do."

Joey glared at Yugi, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. "You're shooting up again, aren't you?" He grabbed Yugi's wrist, dragging him forward and turning his forearm around to see it. He growled and shoved his arm back at him. "Yeah, you are. Yug!"

Yugi was back on the heroin, apparently. Seto stood there by the open front door and just stared, at a loss for the drama unfolding in front of him. Yami looked at Yugi with a mix of anger and disbelief.

"I am not high!" Yugi snapped. "Stay out of my life, asshole."

Joey grabbed Yugi by the shoulders. "Stop it. What the hell is the matter with you, damn it?!"

"Let go of me!"

Yugi punched Joey again. Joey snarled, then threw Yugi on the couch. Yami tried to intervene, but Yugi shoved him away and went after Joey again. The two of them grappled, Yugi not having a snowball's chance in hell of winning. Joey managed to twist Yugi around, wrapping one arm around his neck, the other pinning his arms to his sides. Yugi kicked and struggled.

"Aibou, stop it!" Yami walked forward, trying to catch Yugi's wrists as he tried to reach back and scratch, since he had no other movement available to him.

Yugi stomped on Joey's foot. Joey howled, then threw Yugi from him in a rage. The fight ended abruptly as Yugi struck the coffee table. His knees buckled and he hit the top of the table solidly on his back before rolling over it and off the other side. He hit the floor with a thud and lay there, eyes wide and mouth open, a small whimper leaving his throat. He was clearly in a lot of pain.

Joey and Yami both gasped. As Yugi reached around behind him to press one hand against the small of his back, Joey and Yami both hurried around the coffee table, kneeling on the floor beside him.

"Yugi, I'm so sorry!" Joey gasped. "Are you all right?"

"Aibou? Aibou, say something. I'll call an ambulance."

"I don't...need..." Yugi shifted and cried out.

Yami jumped up to grab the handset of the phone on the side table by the couch. He dialed 911 and asked for an ambulance, while Joey knelt beside Yugi, hands hovering over him but not touching him. Seto continued to stand where he was, just staring at the shreds of what he had once called The Friendship Gang.

tbc…


	77. Chapter 77

Chapter Seventy-Seven:

The ambulance arrived within eight minutes of being called. Yugi was still lying on the floor, though not for lack of trying to get up. Every time he tried, he cried with pain and had to desist, until finally Yami went to grab the emergency pendant--to find that it wasn't around Yugi's neck. He found it in Yugi's room and pressed the black button, turning off the chips. Yugi went more relaxed as his legs became immobile, but he was still in pain and still angry.

"What happened?" Yami asked desperately as they waited for the ambulance to arrive.

"Dr. Miller called and told me that Yug's hasn't gone to a meeting since the first one. When he got home, I confronted him."

"And told Kazuya he had no right to keep me from my sessions," Yugi growled. "But Kazuya didn't know anything about Dr. Miller. I chose not to go. You had no right to say anything anyway, Joey. And guess what? No one 'keeps me' from anything. I make my own decisions."

"Yugi, stop it," Joey pleaded. "I just--"

"Bite me."

The paramedics arrived not a minute after that and loaded Yugi onto the stretcher, putting him in the back of the ambulance. Only one person was allowed to ride with him, but Yugi vehemently declared he didn't want either of them near him. The paramedics obeyed his wishes and left without either, but Yami and Joey were not going to stay away. Yami had forgotten all about Kaiba, who was still there, until Kaiba told them to get in and he'd take them to the hospital. Joey did have his own car, but he didn't argue and the three of them got into the BMW.

"Do you think we can ever fix this?" Joey asked Yami miserably as they rode in the backseat.

"Why would you want to?" Kaiba asked. "Seems like he's been pretty nasty lately."

"No one asked you," Joey snapped automatically.

"We'll see, Joey," Yami said.

At the hospital, the doctor met them, the same who had first told them Yugi was on drugs. She grimly told them that Yugi had been admitted and was being examined for a possible renewal of the fracture that had initially paralyzed him. Joey was clearly being consumed by guilt for having thrown him. When they'd explained what had happened, Dr. Johnston nodded.

"I've had blood drawn. But I've already noticed the track marks on his arm again. He's definitely using heroin again."

"Fuck," Joey muttered, then apologized for cursing in front of the doctor.

"I'll let you know the results of his examination as soon as I can," the doctor said. "For now, I suggest you don't go to see him."

She turned and left. Joey collapsed into one of the chairs and put his face in his hands. Yami sat down next to him, putting his hand on his back.

"Joey, it wasn't your fault."

"I threw him," Joey moaned behind his hands. "Like a doll. I'm pissed, but that's no excuse. I could have killed him!"

Yami merely rubbed his back, knowing he wouldn't be able to change Joey's mind. His link to Yugi was shut, as it always was now, and he didn't try to contact him. He didn't know what to do now. Yugi was seemingly beyond reach.

Yami barely took notice that Kaiba stayed there. The brunette was standing in complete silence near the end of the waiting area, watching the doctors, nurses, patients, and visitors milling around. Joey remained sitting with his face in his hands, not crying, but tearing himself up with guilt, despite Yami's reassurances.

A couple of hours after they'd arrived, Dr. Ashford showed up. Yami explained to him what had happened, not finished when Dr. Johnston came to talk to them. She led them to his room, but stopped them outside of it. Yugi was lying in a bed, staring despondently at nothing, an IV running into his arm. Dr. Johnston informed them that the initial results of his X-ray had come back. His back had not been broken again; the strike to the coffee table had merely been painful. Joey was relieved, but Dr. Ashford had worse news for them.

"Yugi's behavior is becoming increasingly erratic," he said grimly. "He's becoming a danger, to himself and others. He refuses treatment and he's become hooked on narcotics. I think that it's time...we discussed an institution."

Yami and Joey both gasped.

"You mean, locking him up?" Joey asked in horror.

"It is probably best for him," Dr. Ashford said. He gestured through the window to Yugi. "The way he is going, he could seriously injure himself or even someone else."

"Oh, for heaven's sake," Kaiba suddenly snarled, surprising them all. "I'll get to the bottom of this."

He turned and stalked into the hospital room. The rest of them followed him, their protestations doing nothing to stop him.

"All right, Yugi, time's up," Kaiba said loudly as he entered Yugi's room. "Enough of your insanity."

"Kaiba!" Yami exclaimed.

"So fess up. What's your real problem?"

"Kaiba, get the fuck out of here," Joey hissed, balling his fists threateningly.

Yugi stared at Kaiba, then turned his head away, staring at the wall. Abruptly he burst into tears, covering his face with his hands. Kaiba sneered, ignoring Joey's advancing on him.

"You're not the only orphan from the earthquake, you know," he said. "You're not even the only orphan in the room."

"It's not the same," Yugi said behind his hands.

Joey stopped his threatening of Kaiba, the entire group looking at Yugi. Yami went around the bed and sat down on the edge, putting his hand on Yugi's head. Yugi flinched as if Yami had burned him, turning away from him.

"Yugi, please, talk to us," Yami urged.

"I know you're an orphan," Yugi moaned. "But...but you aren't responsible."

"What? Aibou, there was an earthquake. There was nothing you could have done."

Yugi shook his head rapidly and dropped his hands, looking up at Yami miserably. "You don't understand! When the earthquake came and I fell through the floor, I landed in my parents' room. Dad was in there and he was--he was-- The ceiling and my dresser had fallen in on him, but he was still alive. He was being crushed, and I didn't help him."

Yugi's eyes filled with tears again and he shut them. Yami couldn't pick him up to hug him because of his bruised spine, so he settled for stroking Yugi's hair.

"Aibou, your back was broken."

Yugi shook his head again. "I could still move," he wailed. "But I couldn't take the pain, so I just lay there and watched him die. I should have helped him!"

There, at last, was the root of Yugi's problem. He had not only witnessed his father being crushed to death, he blamed himself for not helping him push the rubble off of him. He was consumed by guilt and ashamed of himself. Despite the ridiculousness of his belief, he couldn't shake the idea that his father would have lived if he'd been stronger.

"Oh, Yug'," Joey said. He sat down on the other side of the bed. "I'm sorry."

/I didn't want to tell you,/ Yugi whispered to Yami, opening their link for the first time since they'd had their conversation about Kazuya and Sentoryou. /I didn't want anyone to know, but I couldn't get rid of the pain. The drugs made me forget and I just wanted to./

//Aibou, it was not your fault,// Yami insisted.

/I only made it worse,/ Yugi went on. /Why don't you hate me?/

//Because you're my friend, hikari.//

/I hate myself./ Yugi spoke with a mental voice that was alarmingly hollow.

//Yugi, don't.//

"Yug', you have to stop blaming yourself," Joey said. "You weren't to blame for your dad's death."

Yugi only shook his head. "I couldn't even bring myself to see my mother and now she's gone too and I couldn't say I'm sorry but I'm glad too because she didn't know I let him die and I just didn't want to remember anymore."

Yugi's breathing was ragged and quick. The machine next to the bed began to beep rapidly. Yugi was having a panic attack.

Dr. Johnston suddenly stepped forward with a syringe. A nurse had come into the room without Yami noticing and given it to him. He stuck it into the IV and released the contents. Almost immediately Yugi's sobbing subsided and he relaxed. He'd been put to sleep by whatever drug was had been in the needle.

"He needs to rest," she said. "Come on, out."

Yami saw that Kaiba had already left. He and Joey reluctantly left the room with the two doctors, standing out in the hall outside of Yugi's room.

"You're not really going to lock him up, are you?" Joey asked.

Dr. Ashford sighed. "Now that we know the real reason for Yugi's behavior, maybe we can successfully rehabilitate him without remanding him to an institution. But only if Yugi begins to accept treatment and realize that he could not have prevented his father's death. He is going to need therapy, both mental and physical. Dr. Miller will not be enough, she's not a licensed therapist. You two will have to force Yugi to go to his sessions, if he tries to back out of them. I'm going to prescribe him some anti-depressants and you'll need to make sure he takes them. I had hoped never to have to prescribe them, because the new medicine for his chronic pain reacts with them."

"You mean, to help his depression, he's got to suffer the pain?" Joey asked.

"Yes."

Yami looked back into the room where Yugi was sleeping. He hoped that Yugi would accept the pills and sessions. He hated to admit it, but if he didn't, he knew he was going to allow Dr. Ashford take him to an institution.

Yugi was to be kept at the hospital for the next few days, in observation and, as Yami knew, under supervision. Because of his prolonged use of the heroin, Dr. Johnston needed to have him there to help him with the withdrawal he was going to go through, symptoms of which were going to be too severe to handle at home.

Because Kaiba had left the hospital, Dr. Ashford took Yami and Joey home. Joey was horribly upset by what had occured, but optimistic.

"Now that it's out in the open, he can only get better, right?" he asked Yami.

"I don't know," Yami admitted. Joey was not connected to Yugi's mind. He had not felt the depth of Yugi's self-hatred or despair. Yugi's mind had felt cold and dark, his soul weighed down like a stone. "He is so certain he could have helped his father."

"But how could he? Yugi's back was broken and his dad was...buried."

"He doesn't see it that way," Dr. Ashford said from the front. "We don't know the circumstances, but I'm guessing that after all this time and, suffering from survivor's guilt, he's warped the situation in his mind. It will take a lot to change his opinion."

"So...you don't think there's any hope for him?" Joey asked miserably.

"I'm not a psych doctor. I've taken the minimal requirements of psych and medicine to gain my doctorate, but I can only give you my personal opinion. If there is any hope, it's going to take a long time. Yugi is feeling guilt for having survived what took the lives of his family, he's placed an unrealistic onus on himself that he thinks he's failed."

"Do you...think he'll try and hurt himself?"

"I don't know. He hasn't yet."

"I think he's sticking around for us," Yami said. "Because of all we've done for him."

"I'm sure if you had died, Yami, he wouldn't have been far behind," Dr. Ashford said bluntly, looking in the rear-view mirror.

"He'll be fine," Joey said abruptly. "He's told us, hasn't he? Isn't that a step in the right direction?"

Dr. Ashford's eyes studied Joey for a second before he said, "Yes, Joey, it is a step in the right direction."

His eyes flicked to Yami's and he knew that Dr. Ashford was no more certain than Yami himself was.

That night, Yami jerked awake at the sound of the phone ringing. Beside him, Joey shifted and muttered darkly, though he didn't come fully awake. After Dr. Ashford had dropped them off at home, neither of them had had much appetite for dinner or conversation and had gone to bed early. Without speaking about it, Yami had crawled into bed with Joey rather than go into his own room.

He sat up and grabbed the handset, lifting it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Did I wake you?"

"Mm. Kaiba, it's one-thirty. Yes, you woke me. Did something happen?"

"Yeah. I thought you'd want to know, Takanawa's dead."

tbc…


	78. Chapter 78

Chapter Seventy-Eight:

Seto turned off the engine and climbed out of his car. He had just gotten home from the hospital, having left Yami and Joey there with Yugi. Now that was a turn of events. Yugi thought he had let his father die in the earthquake because he hadn't been strong enough to withstand the pain of his injuries. Seto supposed that explained his behavior. Though whether the knowledge had come too late was still debateable.

Seto pushed the incident out of his mind. It wasn't his business. It was up to Yami whether he was going to get Yugi out of his tailspin. Seto had things of his own to worry about.

He headed inside and went into the kitchen to get himself something to eat. His household staff was still on leave for now, so Seto was alone. He made himself a sandwich and headed upstairs. Sitting down at his home office desk, he pulled the remote for the bomb-dog out of his jacket. Turning it on, he tuned into the camera eyes.

The underside of Takanawa's bed came onto the screen. Turning on the microphone in the ear, he listened for any sounds of movement, but the dog was alone in the room. Glancing at the clock, Seto saw that it was nearly nine. He was supposed to have met Takanawa at the warehouse at six.

Picking up the handset of his phone and pulled up the 'missed call' menu. Sure enough, at six-ten a call had come from Takanawa's cell phone. Another had come in at eight. Takanawa was likely pissed.

Seto studied the image on the screen. He couldn't hear anything and the house was still furnished. He saw no evidence that Takanawa had packed up and left. Takanawa was probably pissed off that Seto had not made his meeting with him, but he hadn't suspected anything.

Seto had to wait for over an hour, but by ten-thirty, something finally happened. The door to Takanawa's bedroom opened and Seto watched a pair of feet cross the carpet. The microphone picked up Takanawa's voice.

"I don't care why he didn't show up," he said saying. Seto suspected he was on the phone. "Kaiba thinks this is a game of wills, he's going to be sorely mistaken. You get out there and pick him up. Maybe an hour with Katana will change his mind. Call me when you have him."

A tiny beep reached Seto's ears. He'd hung up. Seto watched as Takanawa's feet moved around the room, clothes dropping on the floor. He walked away into the closet and when he came back, his legs were covered in pajamas now.

"Daddy!"

The five-year-old was small enough that Seto could briefly see his face as he came rushing into the bedroom through the still-open door. He was a pale-faced boy with jet black hair and large, heavily-lidded black eyes. The boy's feet disappeared as he took a running leap and landed on the bed. Takanawa laughed and joined him.

"What are you doing, son? Shouldn't you be getting ready for bed?"

"Don't wanna," the child whined.

"It's half-past ten," Takanawa said severely. "You've already stayed up two hours past your bedtime."

"So?" the kid challenged. "I do what I want."

Takanawa laughed, while Seto felt his lip curl. What a mouth that little bastard had. It was clear, the child was a mini-Takanawa already. However, he was only five. Maybe there was hope for him yet.

**"You might want to walk your little copy-dog in while Takanawa's reading his kiddy a bed-time story."

"That would take out the kid."

"That's the idea."

"Kaiba, Kaiba. You're a tough man...mostly...but you're just not a gangster. Think about it. You take out the boy so he doesn't come after you later. Obvious."**

Seto stared at the single foot of Takanawa's that was hanging over the bed, listening to the father and son talking about a school play that was coming up in a couple of weeks. As he listened, the child whined about not being cast as the lead.

Takanawa promised he'd take care of it. The child giggled.

Seto's finger hovered over the red detonate button. The boy was laughing at the idea of a classmate being scared or hurt. Takanawa was promising to scare or hurt a child his son's age. They were both evil, regardless of age.

But the boy was only five.

"Get to bed," Takanawa said finally. "Now."

The child whined, pleaded, even threatened his father. Takanawa stood firm and eventually the kid hopped off the bed and went running out. Seto let out a breath. So he wasn't that tough. He couldn't kill a child.

Seto moved the joystick on the remote. The dog walked forward, Seto lining it up more towards the head of the bed, beneath where the pillow was likely to be. Unfortunately, the whining servos caught Takanawa's attention. The man dropped to his knees and his face appeared at the edge of the bed. Seto stopped the dog, but it was too late.

"What did I tell you about leaving your toys in my room?!" Takanawa yelled at the top of his lungs.

His hand snatched out and grabbed the dog. The camera jerked viciously as Takanawa pulled the dog out from under the bed, getting to his feet.

"Come get--"

Seto jammed his finger on the red button.

On his end, there was no spectacular evidence of the explosion. The screen on the remote only went blank, buzzing a little with the static of a suddenly-severed line before going completely black. Seto stared at it for a long moment, feeling a little stunned. After all this time, it was over?

Seto let the remote fall from his fingers, then ran his fingers through his hair before blowing out a breath. Then he smirked and started laughing. It was over, Takanawa was gone. Mokuba and Marianne could come home and everything could go back the way it was.

Seto got to his feet and grabbed his keys and coat before heading out to the garage. It was late, but he wasn't going to wait any longer. He got into his BMW again and headed back to the KC Tower. He boarded his Jet and took off, heading to the little island that had become his brother and sister-in-law's prison.

It was almost midnight when he touched down on the island clearing. The noise of the Jet's turbines had awoken the occupants of the cabin, but the distinctive Blue Eyes shape immediately relaxed them, for Mokuba came out with only concern for Seto. He was wearing pajamas and was bare-foot, running across the grass to the Jet. Seto could see Marianne in the doorway, beneath the light of the porch lamp, while Roland stood on the porch, watching nervously.

"Big Brother, what's wrong?" Mokuba asked.

Seto vaulted over the side of the Jet and landed lightly on his feet on the grass. "Nothing's wrong. Come on, I'm going to talk to everyone at once."

Inside the cabin, all four took seats in the living room. Marianne had one hand resting over her swollen stomach, in the typical mother fashion, and she looked at Seto with worried eyes.

"What is it?" she asked.

"It's over," Seto said. "You can go home to England in the morning."

"Seriously?" she asked. "Oh, that's wonderful!"

"And you can come home to Japan," Seto added to Roland.

The man grinned broadly. Seto turned his attention from him back to his brother. Mokuba was looking at him intently, but he smiled when he met Seto's eyes.

"I just wanted to let you know that," Seto said. "In person. Rather than wait."

"Of course," Marianne said. "I wouldn't want to wait another minute. Oh, thank you, Seto. I'm so happy!"

Seto got to his feet.

"Are you going already?" Mokuba asked.

"It's midnight. You should get back to sleep."

"Won't you stay the night?" Marianne asked. "Please? I don't like the idea of you flying home in the dark."

Seto's first instinct was to protest. He was a long-time flyer and he was good at it. But he knew Marianne was just the worrying type and that she was concerned for him. And, really, it wasn't such a bad idea to stay the night, help them get ready to head back to England, and accompany them safely home. He didn't have pajamas or a change of clothes, but he could suffer through that indignity for one night. He'd come in person to see for himself their relief that it was all over, but deep down he knew he couldn't be one hundred percent relaxed until he knew that they were home safe and that Takanawa really was dead. If the explosion had gone off, and he was sure it had, cops and paramedics were going to show up. And the incident was going to show up on the six o'clock news tomorrow. Only then would he know for sure that Takanawa was dead. Moving his brother and sister-in-law tomorrow morning might be jumping the gun, but Seto was certain he'd succeeded. He knew it in his gut.

Marianne was happy Seto relented to staying the night. With Mokuba's help, she managed to lever herself up off the couch, her nearly seven-months-pregnant belly weighing her down. Mokuba helped her up the stairs to the bedroom they were using, while Roland double-checked the locks before retiring to the unisex white bedroom. That left the pink one and the cat-scratch one for Seto to use.

"Seto?"

Mokuba's voice interrupted Seto staring at the cat-scratch room. He turned his head, seeing his brother coming back down the hallway.

"Can we talk?"

Seto nodded and followed Mokuba back downstairs. Mokuba walked into the kitchen and got a drink of water, pouring one for Seto, too, who accepted it. Mokuba leaned against the counter and sipped from his glass, before looking up at Seto with the same intense look as before.

"You killed him, didn't you?"

Seto nodded slowly, holding his brother's gaze. He realized that himself. He was now, officially, a murderer. He'd done mean, cruel things before, but he'd never killed anyone. Not directly. To acquire the Blue Eyes, he'd done very cruel things, including terrorizing a man so long that he eventually committed suicide, but this was directly by his own hand. And he didn't have the excuse of an evil half of his soul.

"Yeah," he said quietly.

Mokuba studied him for a long moment. Then a faint smile touched his lips. "I know you didn't have any other choice, Seto. I always believed you were a better person than most people said you were and I still believe it. I know it wasn't easy. Thanks, Big Brother."

Seto didn't respond. Not only did he hate mush as much as he always had, having his little brother thanking him for killing someone just didn't sit right with him. Still, he done it and he wasn't going to shy away from it. He didn't regret it, that was for sure.

"Although...I wouldn't say anything to Marianne. I mean, she knows, she's a smart woman, but..."

"Got it," Seto said.

Mokuba flashed a smile. "Yeah."

Seto poured his water down the sink without having taken a drink. Mokuba poured out the rest of his and the two of them headed up the stairs.

"Are we really in the clear?" Mokuba asked as they went.

"As far as I know. I wouldn't tell you to go home unless I thought you were."

"I know. I don't know, new daddy jitters, I guess." Mokuba blew a breath. "Man, Seto, you have no idea how wound up I am, even with over two months to go."

"It'll be fine."

"Yeah."

They split up and Mokuba went in to the big room with Marianne. Seto waited a minute before turning around and heading back downstairs to the living room. Leaving the lights off, he turned the TV on very soft and flipped to the news station.

A breaking news bulletin was in progress. Seto watched without much emotion as the reporter stated that a bombing in Matsubase was being investigated. One fatality, three injuries.

Takanawa was dead. His picture came up next to the reporter's face, though the name given was Hiroshi Takata, which was apparently the alias he used. The injured were Max, Andrew, and an unidentified woman, who the reporter suggested was one of the brothers' girlfriend. Max was in critical condition, the woman and Andrew both in fair. 'Takata's' son and wife, as well as Shin had all escaped unharmed. There were no resports of anyone else in the house, so Seto guessed that the group didn't all live under the same roof. He was surprised that three of the mafia group had been there to begin with.

Seto shut off the TV, sitting silently in the dark. Hiroshi Takanawa was really, truly dead. The mafia group had been disbanded. Shin, Max, and Andrew were likely to be arrested for their Yakuza ties and would probably fold on the rest. The entire family had been toppled.

Reaching into his coat, Seto pulled out his cell phone and dialed the house number for Yami. He'd gave him the news, then hung up.

It was strange. After all this time, it was like he didn't know what he was supposed to do now. Then a smirk crossed his face and he got to his feet. Of course he knew what he was going to do now, he was going to get on with his life.

tbc…


	79. Chapter 79

Chapter Seventy-Nine:

Yami slowly hung the phone up and lay back down. He rested his hands on his stomach and looked up at the ceiling. Amazing. After all of this time, Takanawa was finally dead. He was sure Kaiba would not have called him without being sure, so it was true.

He was happy that Kaiba was free of Takanawa's threats. All that was left now was for them to get Yami's Puzzle back, though he didn't know how Kaiba planned to accomplish that.

"Yami? Something wrong?" It was Joey, sounding sleepy, but concerned.

"No. Nothing is wrong. That was Kaiba. He told me that Takanawa is dead."

Joey and Yugi had both been horrified when they'd arrived at the hospital late on Tuesday night after having been called by the doctor to find Yami being treated for dehydration, the burns and cuts on his front, and the abrasions and cuts to his arms. It had taken a long time to calm them down that he was fine, though he'd had to wait through an epic rant on Joey's part about what an ass Kaiba was and how he was nothing but trouble, as well as Joey's insistence that he'd find the men that had done it and kick their asses himself. His usual protective promises. Yugi had held one of his hands and stared at his chain-tattooed arm for nearly an hour while Joey yelled. But eventually they'd taken him home when he'd been released from the hospital.

"Oh," Joey said in response to his announcement. "Good. Now you won't have anything to do with Kaiba anymore."

Yami studied the ceiling above him. "Yes..."

******

The next afternoon, Yami headed down to his job at Annie's. His boss had had phenomenal success with her show and business had boomed. Yami had been picking up extra shifts when he could. He had wanted to check in on Yugi before he went, but Dr. Ashford advised that he and Joey not do so at least until Yugi's withdrawal symptoms were over. He hoped his hikari would realize just how foolish his belief was and get healthy again.

"Hi, honey!" Annie greeted him as he came in. Then she paused, her eyes dropping to his bruised arms. The links were now blue/purple rather than black, but still alarming. "Oh, my gosh! What is that?"

"Hard to explain," Yami said evasively. "It's fine."

Annie took one of his hands between hers and lifted his arm up. "Aw, dear. Are you sure?"

"Yeah. It doesn't hurt."

She lightly brushed his arm with her fingertips before letting him go, looking at him with concern. But she did change the subject. Annie was not one to pry. She directed him to go and take over the register, where George was just getting ready to go. Yami dutifully walked behind the counter, greeting the old man on his way out.

The day passed by quickly, as they were furiously busy until closing. Annie came over just as he was helping the last customer before they would lock up. The customer paid for the painting she'd bought, then gestured to his arms.

"Wicked tats, by the way. Hot." She winked at him and left the store.

Annie giggled, leaning against the counter. "I think some of my new regulars only come in to see you."

Yami flushed, locking the register and handing the key back to her. "I'm glad to prostitute my looks for your business."

Annie laughed, patting him on the shoulder. "See you tomorrow, honey."

Yami said goodbye and left the store to get himself some dinner. To his surprise and delight, he hadn't gone far before he heard a familiar voice calling his name.

"Yami! Over here."

Yami turned his head and saw Sentoryou waving to him from the window of the white limo. He smiled and walked over to the limo, standing on the sidewalk and looking in at him. He hadn't seen him since Monday evening. Sentoryou smiled back at him brightly and pushed open the door. Yami slid into the backseat with him.

"How have you been?" Sentoryou asked as the limo drove off.

"Fine. How is your sister?"

"Aiko is fine. She broke her leg and has a nasty bump, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it was. She's out of the hospital now."

"That's good."

"I'm sorry about abandoning you."

"Don't apologize. You had to go see your sister."

"Yeah. Well, I'll just have to see whether you'll be willing to give me a second chance."

Yami smiled, leaning against his arm. "I might be persuaded."

Sentoryou grinned and leaned down, cupping his chin with his fingers and kissing him. Yami closed his eyes, kissing him back, feeling relieved that Sentoryou was back after all that had happened with Yugi and Takanawa. He groaned softly when Sentoryou slid his tongue into his mouth, turning to wrap his arms around his neck. Sentoryou broke the kiss and gently pushed Yami's head to the side, moving his mouth to his ear. Yami kept his eyes closed, shivering as Sentoryou's tongue ghosted over his earlobe.

"Will you come to my room again?" Sentoryou asked.

Yami turned his head and opened his eyes to look into his. "Yes."

Sentoryou groaned and took his mouth in a kiss, hand still cupping Yami's face. Yami kissed him back, sliding his fingers through his hair, pressing against him. Sentoryou broke the kiss and moved to Yami's neck, nibbling lightly while one hand wandered down Yami's back. The hand under his chin slid around to the back of his head, fingers brushing the nape of his neck.

The limo arrived at the hotel while they were still making out and they had to disentangle to get out of the limo. Yami walked with Sentoryou to the elevator, but this time there were others on the car, so he couldn't jump on him like he had before. Yami could feel the tension in Sentoryou, knew how eager he was.

Sentoryou opened the hotel door and took Yami's hand, pulling him inside. "I probably should just buy a house down here," he said. "Probably would be cheaper." He gently pushed Yami against the door and stood against him, resting both of his forearms against the wall on either side of Yami's head. "Especially now that I have a really good reason to come to Domino."

Yami smiled and tilted his head back. Sentoryou took the invitation and bent down, claiming his mouth. Yami parted his lips, allowing his tongue inside, raising his arms and slowly winding them around Sentoryou's neck. Sentoryou's hands dropped and took ahold of his hips, pushing him lightly against the door as he mapped out his mouth. At last he broke the kiss and drew back with a soft sigh.

"Just as good as always."

Yami kissed his cheek, then slid out of his embrace and walked further into the suite. Sentoryou came with him, practically stalking him, before abruptly breaking away and heading into the kitchenette.

"Anything to drink?" he asked.

Yami stood at the island counter and leaned on it on his forearms. "Whatever you'll have."

Sentoryou reached into the mini fridge under the countertop and withdrew a bottle of merlot. He got two wineglasses from the cabinet above the sink and poured a half-glass each. He handed over one glass to Yami, coming around the counter to him. Yami accepted the glass and sipped from it, reminding himself not to allow himself to drink too much. He needed to cut back on the alcohol he consumed, whether or not he was in a bad mood.

Sentoryou took a drink from his own, coming to stand beside and against Yami, leaning back against the counter. He put his arm around Yami's shoulders and leaned over, nuzzling against the side of his head then kissing his temple. Yami turned his head, meeting his kiss, which this time was firm, but quick. His mouth moved from Yami's lips to his neck, his teeth lightly nipping at his pulse point. Yami closed his eyes and tilted his head back, enjoying the sensation.

"Mm."

His soft noise of satisfaction seemed to be the snapping point for Sentoryou. The wineglass was pulled from Yami's hand, both set on the countertop with plinks, before Sentoryou grabbed Yami around the waist and crushed their mouths together again, pulling Yami along with him as he walked backwards towards the bedroom. Yami broke the kiss in order to stop Sentoryou from walking into the wall, taking his hands in his and pulling him into the room. Sentoryou grinned, then pulled Yami up against him again, letting go of his hands to cup his face between his own. He brushed his cheek with his thumb, studying his eyes.

"Gods, you are so beautiful," Sentoryou murmured, kissing Yami's forehead.

Yami smiled, but otherwise didn't acknowledge the compliment, letting Sentoryou drop his hands down to his waist so he could start undoing his pants. They kissed again, Yami beginning to undo the buttons to Sentoryou's shirt beneath his jacket. Once half of them were done, he dropped his mouth to his chest, pressing kisses to his skin and briefly running his tongue over one of his nipples. Sentoryou growled in pleasure, grabbing the hem of Yami's shirt, beginning to lift it over his head.

Yami raised his arms over his head and let the shirt come off, then immediately went for Sentoryou's jacket, shoving it off his shoulders. Sentoryou laughed, dropping Yami's shirt and taking the jacket all the way off, then pulled his shirt out of his pants and finished undoing the buttons, taking it off and dropping it to the floor.

Once the shirt was off, Sentoryou cupped Yami's face again and kissed him, then wrapped his arms around his waist to pull him up against him. Yami kissed him back, feeling Sentoryou pushing him towards the bed. He fell down onto it obediently, looking up at Sentoryou as he stood near his knees. Sentoryou reached down and traced his fingers briefly over Yami's chest before hooking them into the waistband of Yami's pants and taking them down. He left his boxers on, which Yami appreciated, the consideration.

Sentoryou joined him on the bed, laying down on his side beside him, bending down to press soft kisses to Yami's lips, cheeks, his forehead. His hand wandered over Yami's torso, inflaming his skin. Yami groaned softly, moving his own hand down over Sentoryou's hip to push at his pants. Sentoryou took the hint and rolled onto his back, pushing his pants down and off.

Yami rolled slowly onto top of him, kissing him before working his way down his throat. Sentoryou slid his fingers through Yami's hair as he nipped at his collarbone. Yami slid down to Sentoryou's belly, dragging his tongue over the muscles. Sentoryou growled and tugged him up, kissing him deeply before rolling him over onto his back more properly on the bed, rolling himself over on top of him.

Sentoryou ground their hips together and Yami moaned, then arched his back as Sentoryou's hands moved down to divest him of his boxers.

It was clear, nothing was going to interrupt them this time.

******

Yami lay on his side, watching Sentoryou as he dozed. He himself had just woken up, and now he was thinking about what he'd just done. Sentoryou was a good lover. He'd thoroughly enjoyed himself. But now that it was over, he wasn't sure what to think.

Sentoryou abruptly stirred, shifting and opening his eyes. He turned his head to look at Yami, then smiled broadly and leaned over to kiss him briefly.

"Hi. Mm, wow. Well worth the chase."

Yami smiled back, shifting to rest his arm across his stomach. Sentoryou rested his own atop his, then turned over onto his side, wrapping his arm around Yami and drawing him close. He nuzzled into his hair and sighed, relaxing. Yami knew he had drifted off again and he lay there quietly, listening to him breathe, feeling the heat of his body against his. After a few minutes, he was lulled back to sleep himself.

When he woke up, it was getting light outside the windows. It was early morning, nearly dawn, and he'd spent the whole night in Sentoryou's hotel room.

Sentoryou was awake now, sitting up beside him in bed, leaning back against the headboard as he read from a sheaf of paper. He noticed Yami stir and set the stack of papers down on the bedside table, turning to look down at him with a welcoming smile, reaching down to stroke his fingers through Yami's hair.

"Good morning," he said. "Did you sleep well?"

Yami nodded, sitting up and yawning. "Yes, I did."

"So did I. This was fantastic."

Yami leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his lips, then sighed. "I'd better go. I didn't tell my friends I wouldn't be coming home."

Sentoryou nodded, climbing out of bed himself and getting dressed at the same time. Yami finished putting on his clothes when he realized that his neckbelt was missing. Sentoryou noticed him searching and asked what he was looking for.

"My collar."

"Oh. Uh... here you are."

He picked the belt up from the floor on the other side of the dresser, behind the wastebasket. Apparently he'd thrown it after he'd taken it off. Yami reached for it, but Sentoryou held it away from him with a smile, coming up to him and raising the neckbelt. Yami stood still and let him slide it around his neck and fasten it. Once he had it buckled, Sentoryou rested his hands on Yami's shoulders, massaging them gently.

"Will you go out with me again, Yami?"

Yami smiled and nodded. "Yes. Just give me a call."

"I will. Sure you can't stay for breakfast?"

"I'd really better be going."

"All right. At least let me take you home."

"Actually, I'd rather walk, Sentoryou. The morning is peaceful."

Sentoryou reluctantly agreed, walking him to the elevator. He gave him a kiss goodbye and Yami boarded the elevator, heading down to the ground floor. The hotel was fairly close to the apartment building and he was content to walk as he usually did, feeling the cool, but pleasant early morning air on his skin. It was clearly going to rain at a later hour; he could smell it on the wind. He'd glanced at the clock on the way out of the hotel room and it was only a quarter after five and there was not another soul in sight.

As he walked, he tried to sort through his feelings about what had just happened. He'd actually slept with Sentoryou, after so long of dodging his advances. It was very different between them now.

He got home a little before six. The apartment was quiet, so he made no attempt to find Joey, instead just heading into his bedroom to get some clean clothes before getting into the shower. As he stood beneath the hot water, he found himself calling Yugi through their link. Mostly because he wanted to check up on his hikari, even against Dr. Ashford's suggestions, but partly because he felt the need to talk to someone, even if he wasn't going to mention the night with Sentoryou.

Yugi didn't answer him.

tbc…


	80. Chapter 80

Chapter Eighty:

Seto opened the front door to his mansion and set down his briefcase and keys to stretch. It had been a month since he'd blown up Takanawa. A month that that bastard was rotting beneath the ground and things had returned to normal. Mokuba and Marianne had returned right away to England and Seto had talked with them the previous day. With only about six weeks left to go in her pregnancy, Marianne was very happy to be home and Mokuba had returned right away to Kaiba Corp. England and his studies at college.

Seto picked up his briefcase and headed upstairs to his bedroom to get a shower and get changed. He'd had to sleep in his clothes and they were wrinkled and uncomfortable.

He was blitzed halfway down the third floor hallway to his room. Someone struck him from behind, shoving him face first into the wall of the hallway, slamming against him. Seto dropped his briefcase, catching himself with his hands before he hit too hard, grunting in surprise. He started to shove back in order to attack, but the person was ready for him. He resisted, grabbing both of Seto's arms and yanking them behind his back, hooking his elbows through Seto's and gripping his wrists. One ankle hooked against Seto's left, leaving most of his balance on his right leg only.

Seto gritted his teeth, trying to look over his shoulder, but his assailant leaned to the other side, keeping his face hidden.

"What do you want?" Seto snarled.

His assailant laughed. "Wow, you're really easy to overwhelm, K."

"Choukichi?!"

The other man let him go, stepping back, still laughing. "Yeah, it's me. How the hell did you stay alive all this time? It was so easy to get into your house and then--"

Seto turned around and glared at him. "What the hell are you doing here anyway? Your father promised I'd never see you again."

"No, he promised you'd never see *him* again."

Seto growled, straightening his coat. "What the hell do you want? Takanawa is dead and Akira doesn't care about my company."

"Right. Dad couldn't care less about you or Kaiba Corp. But it isn't over yet."

Seto paused and frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

The sound of shattering glass barely reached his ears. Choukichi smiled, then waved his arm. "We should run."

"What--"

"Now would be a good time."

Choukichi turned and bolted down the hallway. Because Seto knew it was serious, he followed after him. Choukichi seemed to know his mansion almost as well as he did because he went right for the back stairs, used only by staff. The two of them pounded down the stairs. Seto heard nothing else coming from the rest of the house, but he knew there were people in there.

"Who is it?" he demanded in a low voice as they went. "Takanawa's dead."

"Yeah, but his family isn't. You took out the big dog, so his business dealings and empire are all going to come crashing down. But that doesn't mean his employees aren't going to want some revenge. Dad and Tetsuo sent me back here to help you get rid of the rest of them."

Seto cursed. "This was supposed to be over with when Takanawa died!"

"We told you to take out the others, too. At least you got Max and Andrew."

"I didn't kill them."

"Nah, you didn't. But you did put them in the hospital. One of my associates visited their hospital rooms last week. Good job, K, but there's still five left."

They reached the bottom floor and out into the hall that led to the backdoor and the gardens. As they went, Choukichi pulled a pair of guns out of his jacket, matching items that looked like they packed a whallop. He reached back and held one of them out to Seto.

"I want that back, so don't lose it."

Seto took the gun reluctantly. He couldn't believe this. It was supposed to be over!

A shadow moved up ahead of them, suddenly appearing from around the corner of the hall's other end. Choukichi raised his gun without pause and squeezed off three shots in rapid succession. One had to hit, for the man shrieked in pain and fell with a thump. Choukichi took off, running towards him. Seto followed, coming up on the pair just as Choukichi raised his gun and shot the guy dead where he lay. It was someone Seto had never seen before, but he didn't pause.

"This way," he hissed, rounding the corner and taking an adjacent hall. "We can reach the garage from here."

Now he was the one in front, Choukichi running behind him, presumably covering his back; Seto didn't dare look over his shoulder.

A bullet suddenly whizzed past Seto's ear, missing him by millimeters, to slam into the wall. He barely heard the phew! of the silenced gunshot. Choukichi's return fire zipped past his shoulder, and it was only with extreme self-control did he not dodge out of the way and put himself in the path of the bullets. Only with extreme control over himself did he continue running forward down the hallway, raising his gun and firing back. He could see the shooter, could see that it was Shin who was shooting at them, half-hidden behind a huge potted plant.

Both of Seto's bullets went far too high. One of Choukichi's bullets took off the top of the plant, but Shin was not hit. He was forced to run for it as the next bullet shattered the pot. He disappeared through the doorway into the conversancy. Seto grabbed the handle to the garage, shoving it open and running into the underground garage. It was empty of people, dark except for the single bulb fixture in the ceiling that was always on in order to illuminate the garage for the security camera.

Seto snatched a set of keys from the rack containing the extras and headed over to the appropriate car. Choukichi was right on his heels. But the noise had alerted the others in the house and they were rapidly coming to converge on them.

Bullets began pinging off the metal of the cars in the garage and the pillars holding up the roof. Choukichi made a snarling noise as he fired back, and Seto was certain he'd been hit. Even as he was thinking that, pain exploded in his shoulder. He pushed through it, yanking open the driver's door and climbing in. Choukichi launched himself into the backseat and Seto started the engine, roaring forward. He pressed the pedal down and launched towards the garage door. There wasn't time to let it open, so he just slammed through it.

The hood crumpled a bit and the windshield cracked, but the car was a powerful, well-built one and it wasn't easily destroyed. He plowed through the door and out onto the driveway, racing down the length of it to the street. There were no cars in the driveway. Clearly Takanawa's men had not wanted to tip him off they were coming. That was good. It would have been a little harder to keep going after striking one of them.

As he turned onto the street from the driveway, he wasn't surprised when a car pulled away from the curb down the street and came after him. At least one person would have been waiting for him in case he got away from the house.

"I've got it," Choukichi said.

The back passenger window went down and Choukichi leaned out a bit, firing his gun back at the oncoming vehicle. It swerved a bit, but stayed on course. As Seto watched in the rearview mirror, the driver's side window went down and an arm appeared, firing back. Seto jerked the wheel to the side, then went back to the center of the street and took a corner. At least one thing was fairly certain; if the drive was firing, then he was alone in the car.

Seto continued driving along the streets at high speed, the car behind him matching them for every turn. Choukichi continued to shoot, the silencer on the gun making it impossible to hear the gunshots. However, the noise of the engines and the high speed chase would garner plenty of attention when they made it into Domino.

"What exactly is going on?" Seto demanded to Choukichi. "These fools aren't going to come after me just because Takanawa is dead. If they have any brains, they'd know there's not enough reason for the risk of getting caught by the police. I don't know about Shin, Max, and Andrew, but I'm sure Katana is no fool. And the rest can't all be stupid."

Choukichi laughed, changing the magazine in his gun for a full one. "For revenge, no one cares about the risk."

"How did you know they'd be here tonight?"

"We got an anonymous call. Damndest thing. Don't know who it was, but Dad decided to take it as real."

Seto knew who it had been; Daisuke. The ugly man was taking his loyalty to Seto surprisingly far. Now that Takanawa was dead, he didn't have any reason to, unless he wanted something more. Seto would have to deal with that when it came.

Seto hesitated, then said, "If you see a big man who's as ugly as sin with them, don't kill him. He's on our side. He's the one who told me how to get to Takanawa's, he's the one who delivered the first dog with the trackers, and the one who called you."

"I hate defectors."

"He's on our side."

"Still disloyal."

"You'd still have Takanawa to contend with if it weren't for him."

"Hm. I'll think about it."

Seto was sure that even without Daisuke's help, he would have been able to get rid of Takanawa eventually, but not without suffering some losses. And not without Akira and Tetsuo's side suffering losses as well, since they seemed to have been fighting Takanawa in the wings during this whole ordeal.

Choukichi leaned out of the window again and started firing some more. It seemed to be largely a waste of time. The guy in the car wasn't even firing back anymore, just driving after them. He was far enough back to be a hard target and close enough to keep on Seto's tail.

Seto took another corner on the fly, now in Domino's downtown. Where was he to go? He'd have to lose the tail somehow before he went anywhere. And he couldn't leave Domino until he was sure this was completely over; though he'd have to call Mokuba as soon as he could and tell him to get himself and Marianne out of England again. He didn't want to have to do that, not right after they'd just gotten home, but it looked like it was going to be necessary.

"K, let him catch up a bit and then take a turn. I'll try and get his tires."

Seto slowed down, watching more in the rearview than the windshield to keep an eye on the car behind him. The guy got very close, then backed off again, swaying across the road as Choukichi tried to shoot him again. Seto saw the turn up ahead and took it, now hearing rather than seeing Choukichi firing.

"Got it!" he said triumphantly.

Seto looked in the rearview again. If they'd been out on a highway or country road, the guy might have been able to hold it, but there were a few vehicles on the road and even the slight loss of control he experienced was enough. The sounds of smashing glass and twisting metal echoed along the buildings. Choukichi laughed in delight.

"Wham! Right into a dumptruck. Good, at least they won't have to go far to get rid of that trash."

Seto slowed down, though he didn't stop. Just because the other guy was, presumably, dead, didn't mean that they were free. Choukichi thought five had survived the bombing. If he'd shot dead the man in the hallway and the man who'd just slammed into the dumptruck was also dead, that left three, and only if Choukichi had his numbers right.

"Where do we go from here?" Seto demanded.

"Can't go to my place," Choukichi said. "Might lead them right to my family."

Seto sighed. The best thing to do was to find someplace to hole up and regroup. Once he was someplace he could use the phone to call Mokuba, he'd tell them to get out. At least he had afforded them a month.

"Head out to Plains Rd. There's a safehouse we use sometimes. It'll be enough til I can get my boys rounded up and get the rest of them."

"Why are you so eager now to use your 'associates' when before you were too scared to?"

"Not scared," Choukichi growled. "We weren't going to jump in until we were sure of what we were jumping into. Now four of them--and Takanawa--are definitely dead. That makes it better for us."

Seto snorted, but changed direction for Plains Rd. The safehouse ended up being a rundown, empty apartment building of the type that had only three one-story apartments to it. It didn't look condemned, but it definitely wasn't luxurious. Seto stared at it as he drove into its cracked, week-choked parking lot occupied only by a rusty dumpster at the far end.

"You've got to be kidding."

"We don't stay here often."

Seto pulled the car up to the front entrance and cut the motor. "This is ridiculous."

Choukichi ignored him, sliding out of the backseat and flipping open his cellphone. He started dialing as he walked towards the front entrance, pulling open the front door without using a key. Clearly they weren't concerned about people stealing from the apartment building. The hinges screeched terribly, like a cat being flayed alive.

Seto reluctantly followed him, passing through the glass door into an entrance hall from which led a staircase heading up to the second-floor apartment, and a doorway, which lead to the first-floor apartment. Choukichi headed up the stairs, still talking on his cellphone to whoever he had called. Seto followed after him, unsurprised when Choukichi continued on up to the third floor.

The third floor must have been what they used on a regular basis when they did use this location. It was relatively well-kept and clean, though still rundown. The grey carpet was frayed, the mint-colored wallpaper beginning to peel and grimy with cigarette smoke residue, and the brown upholstered sofa-and-chair set saggy. Choukichi moved over to the dinette set, which was battered and unpolished, and sat down. Seto moved over to one of the windows and looked out, over the pathetic parking lot, the street that went on by, and the two buildings across the street. One was a quick-mart that had lights on, but no customers inside and the other was a quick-cash place that was closed for the night.

The inside of the apartment's front room had some signs of previous inhabitance, such as a worn paperback on the coffee table, a letter opener on the secretary, and an ashtray full of cold ashes and a crushed cigarette butt.

Choukichi flipped his phone shut. "They'll be here in an hour."

Seto nodded vaguely, looking out of the window again. Why had it taken Shin and his friends a month to decide to get revenge? Why had they not cut their losses and gravitated towards another boss somewhere far away from the now-suspicious police? Seto had heard that the survivors of the bombing had come under close scrutiny, had read dozens of stories in the paper about the suspicions of mob connections. What had they been doing for a month before they'd decided to come after him?

As Seto looked out onto the dark parking lot, he wondered if the reason it had taken them a month was that they were attempting to find his family to use against him. He pulled his own phone out of his coat and went out onto the landing of the stairs and dialed Mokuba. No one answered, but Seto was not immediately concerned. It was nine p.m. here, which meant it was one p.m. in Cambridge. Mokuba would be at college and Marianne could be visiting her parents or at the doctor's. He tried once more anyway and this time the phone was answered by a maid, who confirmed that Mokuba was at college but that Marianne had just left to go visit him for a late lunch.

Seto hung up, relaxing a little. If Shin and his cronies were after Seto now, they probably still had no idea where Mokuba and Marianne were, that they were home. Or they might have decided to skip the effort involved in kidnapping them and just right after source.

Though as Seto stood there, something nagged at him. He didn't want to acknowledge the idea, but it refused to be buried.

There was still one person easily reached who could be used against him.

Yami.

He hadn't seen him since he'd helped him get his Puzzle back from the rubble of Takanawa's mansion, but the absence of contact hadn't seemed to make any difference. Seto cursed, but there was no helping it, now that the thought had managed to penetrate his mind. Though he knew that after a month of apparently sneaking around like rats could have given Shin and the others plenty of time to capture Yami and do whatever they wanted to him, he didn't really think they had. They wouldn't have kept silent about it, he was sure of that. But that didn't mean they weren't planning on it now that Seto had slipped out of their clutches.

Without pausing to tell Choukichi where he was going, Seto headed down the stairs and out to the parking lot. The noise of the creaky hinges on the ground floor entrance alerted Choukichi to what he was doing and the other man poked his head out of the window.

"Where the hell are you going?"

"To tie up a loose end before Takanawa's men try to strangle me with it."

Choukichi's expression showed what he thought of that, but he didn't protest. Seto got into his car and took off, heading back into Domino proper and towards the Ridge Apartments. He picked up his cell phone as he went and dialed the number.

Joey answered. It was first time Seto had spoken to him directly since he'd found out that the other man was dying and for a second he was nearly caught off guard, but managed to regain his composure. He asked Joey if Yami was at home, but was told that Yami was finishing his shift at Fine Art World and should be walking home. Talking over Joey's loud concerns about why he was asking, Seto told him to take Yugi and go to a hotel. Seto hung up on his questions and changed direction for downtown.

He found Yami just locking the Fine Art World store at the end of the day. Parking on the edge of the curb, he got out, walking up to Yami as the other paused and watched him come up. Yami's expression was cool.

"What can I help you with now, Kaiba?"

Seto glanced around, though he saw nothing suspicious. "Come on. You need to come with me and I'll explain in the car."

Yami was no fool. He frowned in concern. "But he's dead."

"No kidding. Let's go."

"Aibou and Jo--"

"I sent Wheeler to a hotel with Yugi. Nothing's going to happen to them there."

"You can take me to the hotel too?" Yami asked, heading with him to the car.

"No. You're coming with me to Choukichi's hideout."

"But--"

"Don't start." He gritted his teeth and added, "I could probably use your help anyway."

Yami said nothing. He sat in the passenger seat looking ahead out of the windshield, though Seto knew he was listening. He filled him in on all that had happened that night while he drove back to the decrepit apartment building, and Seto gave him his phone to call Joey afterwards to check in. He and Yugi had made it to a hotel and wanted to know what was going on. Promising he'd tell them later, Yami hung up.

"I suppose asking if this is the last time is futile," Yami said.

"Probably."

"Then we must kill them all if we are to ever live in peace."

Seto nodded, knowing it had come down to that. Choukichi didn't care, Yami didn't care, so why did he, he who had the least conscience of the world-renowned duelists?

He supposed part if not all of it had to do with the baby. Family was the only thing Seto had ever cared about and though Mokuba and Marianne knew what sort of person he was, the baby didn't. Did he suddenly care what was thought of him by a child not even born yet?

Seto pushed those thoughts aside and pulled into the parking lot of the apartment building. There were already two other cars there, but their conspicious and neat parking made him sure they were Choukichi's expected men. They were even early.

Seto led Yami up the stairs to the third floor apartment, pushing open the door and walking in. Four other men were in the room with Choukichi, all of them giving he and Yami cursory, but alert glances. Choukichi looked up with more interest, looking Yami over. A smirk spread across his face.

"Hey, K, do I finally get to meet your girlfriend?"

Yami looked sharply at Choukichi with narrowed, angry eyes. His fists clenched. "What did you say?"

Choukichi grinned at Yami provokingly. "You heard me."

Yami walked forward angrily. The goons in the room got to their feet threateningly, but were waved down as Choukichi got to his own feet to look down at Yami with that same taunting leer on his face. Seto sighed.

"Enough, let's go."

"What's the matter, Runt, can't you take a joke?" Choukichi demanded.

"You are--"

"Stop it," Seto snapped.

Choukichi reached out and shoved Yami's shoulder hard. "What am I?"

"Do not push me."

Choukichi did it again. Yami snapped and suddenly the two of them were fighting. Yami punched out at Choukichi, who blocked it and returned it, and was also blocked. Yami spun in place, intending to strike with a back-handed blow, only for his wrist to be caught. He twisted it out of Choukichi's grip and blocked Choukichi's attempt to karate chop him. Although Yami was clearly a skilled fighter, Choukichi was a martial arts master. In a series of lightning-quick movements, he shoved Yami's hands away to create an opening, then punched Yami viciously across the face.

Yami hit the floor with a thud, though he was instantly rolling to get back up. Choukichi's associates laughed stupidly as Yami climbed to his feet. Seto intervened the ridiculous fight, stepping in front of Choukichi and restraining him by the shoulders.

"Stop, damn it. Or did you forget we're leaving to kill a houseful of mobsters?"

Choukichi was grinning over Seto's shoulder at Yami, but he moved away. Seto stepped back to look at Yami, only to watch him snatch up the letter opener from the dresser. He drew his arm back and threw it. It whistled past Seto's head and flew at Choukichi. The other man instinctively flinched, turning to the right, and the letter opener thunked into the wall right in front of his face, where Yami had been aiming.

"Shit!" he exclaimed.

Yami smiled cruelly, completely ignoring the four guns suddenly trained on him. Seto growled at him. "Didn't you hear me?"

Choukichi yanked the letter opener out of the wall. "You want to throw knives, girlie?"

Yami lunged forward. Fed up, Seto grabbed him in midstride and lifted him off his feet, throwing him over his shoulder and stalking into the main bedroom. He dumped Yami hard onto the bed, where he immediately tried to get up. Seto grabbed his throat in one hand and his left wrist in the other, careful not to hurt him, and leaned over him, pinning him to the mattress.

"I said, that's enough," he snarled into his face. "Focus here and be the bigger man. You think you can handle that?"

Yami looked up at him, his fists slowly uncurling, relaxing under his hold. His red eyes searched his face and the expression on his own changed subtly. They were very close to each other. A flash of heat and electricity surged between them and Seto quickly let go of him and straightened up.

"Are you ready?" he said to cover up the uncomfortable moment.

Yami got to his feet and smoothed his clothes, his face the blank look he got during a duel. He nodded and Seto led him back out into the main room. Choukichi was now sitting at the table, using the letter opener to slice pieces of an apple and stick them in his mouth. He grinned at Yami when he came into the room.

"I gotta hand it to you, you've got a hell of an arm on you. Sorry about the cheap shots, Spiky."

Yami merely stared at him. Choukichi met his condemning gaze for a few seconds before his grin flashed across his face again and he got to his feet, sinking the blade of the letter opener into the table beside the half-eaten apple. He brushed off his hands.

"That Daisuke called while you were out," he said to Seto. "They've all gathered back at an address he gave us. You trust him?"

"Yes," Seto replied, despite the fact that his very being protested.

Choukichi looked at Yami, then made a sweeping after-you gesture towards the front door. Back straight and head up, Yami brushed past him and headed out the door in a dignified manner.

Choukichi smirked at Seto, who glared at him and followed after Yami. In his book, Choukichi seemed like a more violent version of Joey Wheeler. Perhaps even more annoying if that were possible.

The seven of them got into the three vehicles and headed out.

tbc…


	81. Chapter 81

Chapter Eighty-One:

Yami glanced at the clock, trying not to fidget. He was anxious to get going; Kaiba was supposed to be picking him up in order to help him recover his Puzzle. Kaiba supposedly had an idea for getting it back and he could only hope. He'd lost his Puzzle Monday when Takanawa's goons had taken it from him, and it was now Friday.

At last eight o'clock rolled around and almost on the dot he saw Kaiba's car pull up to the curb in front of the apartment. Reluctantly throwing the thong of the Ring around his neck, he stepped outside and headed down to the car. Joey, though he didn't approve, knew that he was heading out with Kaiba to get the Puzzle and Yugi was still in the psychiatric ward of the hospital. Yami had checked up on him just that morning, manually over the telephone as Yugi refused to open his side of their link since he'd been moved there. Dr. Johnston had informed him that Yugi was over his withdrawal symptoms and attending his meetings with the grief counselor regularly and, if not with enthusiasm, then with good grace. Though he still didn't want to see or talk with anyone. Even when they'd gone to drop off a suitcase of Yugi's things they'd had to leave it with the nurse rather than taking it to Yugi's room. Dr. Johnston had reassured him that that was typical and to give Yugi time.

Kaiba was sitting in the driver's seat of a sleek black convertible of some type Yami didn't know the name of. He climbed into the passenger's seat and Kaiba took off, heading towards the Jet so they could get to Matsubase.

"You know where my Puzzle is?" Yami asked as they drove.

"Pretty sure. First, we're going to go to the ruins themselves. I don't know how long it takes police to clean up a bomb site, since they're going to want to preserve evidence, which is why I called you now. It's been forty-six hours. If they have cleaned it up, all of the stuff that survived the blast will have been taken to the police department and kept in evidence lockers. Everything else would have been tossed out. Your Puzzle was solid gold and Takanawa would have kept it somewhere safe, like a vault. Which would be at the police station."

"And if it's not?"

Kaiba sighed. "Then we'll think of something else. Might as well give it a try."

"I was surprised when you called earlier," Yami said, looking at his profile.

Kaiba continued to look through the windshield and said nothing. Yami turned his head to look out of his passenger window, but couldn't help a faint little smile. Deep down, maybe Kaiba wasn't really all that bad. He had his moments. Now Yami could only hope that they'd be able to get his Puzzle back.

There were no problems getting to the Kaiba Corp. building and the Blue Eyes White Jet. From there they flew in silence to Matsubase. Seto put the Jet down with expert precision in the yard of what had once been Takanawa's house. The blast had destroyed the east Wing of the third floor, collapsing it onto the second floor, but the rest of the house remained standing with only minimal damage. The explosive Kaiba had used had not been very big, even if it had been potent enough to do the job.

All around the half-standing house were criss-crosses of police tape, as well as a few signs warning civilians to stay off the property. Though the Jet was no small machine, it was hidden from view of the street by the remains of the house, the fence, and the trees. As Seto explained, he'd done that on purpose because he expected police drive-bys until the clean-up of the site was finished.

The pair of them got out of the Jet and headed towards the house. Yami was not very optimistic at first that the Puzzle would be here, after all this time, but then was very surprised to feel the faintest brush across his awareness that he would recognize anywhere. The cold, shadowy, but soothing feel of his Puzzle. "It's here," he informed Kaiba.

"Huh. I didn't think it would be, I was just covering all our bases. Where is it?"

"I don't know. Here somewhere."

Kaiba gave him a sour look. "That's all you can do? I thought you could zero in on it or something."

"I am not a dog chasing a scent, Kaiba," Yami said coolly. "If I could do that, I would have gotten it when we were here last." Then he realized he was forgetting something obvious and looked down at the Ring around his neck. He remembered that Ryou had used it to hone in on Pegasus' Millennium Eye and get Yugi and the others out of the maze. "But this can."

"Whatever. At least we don't have to go running all over the damn prefecture. Go get your damn Puzzle."

Yami sniffed and headed across the lawn towards the house, though he wasn't all that surprised when Kaiba came after him rather than waiting by the Jet. He had brought Yami here personally, rather than telling him to go get the Puzzle himself, which meant he thought he knew what to expect. Yami touched the Ring and concentrated on it finding his Puzzle. It took a long moment, but at last the Ring began to glow and one of the dangling cones lifted, pointing in towards the house.

"Keep your eyes open," Kaiba told him. "I doubt this is exactly safe."

Yami nodded and ducked under the police tape, walking up to the back door. He slid it open carefully, then crossed the threshold. The kitchen they'd entered was largely unaffected by the bombing that had happened upstairs, except for a few cracks in the plaster from the shockwave. Much of the surfaces were covered in a white powder and it took Yami a few seconds to realize that it was the powder used to find fingerprints. Dozens of tiny placards with numbers on them littered the floor, leading into the dining room, showing where evidence had been collected. Yami skittered them, heading into the dining room and then into the front parlor. This room suffered more, as Takanawa's room had been directly above, two floors up. The ceiling of the parlor was cracked, a chunk of plaster having fallen down onto one of the armchairs. The window was cracked, and several pictures had fallen from the walls.

"Why would my Puzzle still be here?" Yami asked as they walked. "Doesn't that seem suspicious?"

"Not really," Kaiba said. "Not if it's someplace the police couldn't find. Takanawa wouldn't put his treasures in an obvious place."

"Then where--" Yami broke off, for the cone of the Ring had just changed its angle. It was now pointing downward. Only because it was still glowing did Yami know that it was pointing towards his Puzzle, rather than having stopped.

"Hm."

Kaiba turned and headed towards a doorway that they had never passed through before. He pulled it open to reveal stairs heading downwards. He lifted his arm and retracted his hand through his sleeve, using the material to stop from leaving fingerprints as he flipped on the light switch. Yami crossed the room to him and followed him down the stairs to what proved to be a basement, but a basement that was finished and furnished into a rec room. There was carpet on the floor, wallpaper on the walls, and glass-globed light fixtures on the ceiling. There were two chairs and an L-shaped sofa of dark blue fabric, and a scattering of toys that must belong to Takanawa's child.

Far across the room was a door. The Ring had lifted as soon as Yami's feet touched the bottom of the stairs, and pointed towards the door. Yami went ahead of Kaiba, opening the doorway. Inside was nothing more than a small room that contained the water heater, furnance, and a massive washer and dryer combination. Yami frowned, but stepped into the room, using his forearm to flip the switch since he didn't have sleeves the way Kaiba did. The light flipped on, though it revealed nothing more to Yami. Yet the Ring still pointed into the room.

"I must not be able to use it correctly," Yami sighed, disappointed. Now they would have to search the house room-by-room. At least, he hoped the Ring was working well enough to be truthful that the Puzzle was here.

"Hang on," Kaiba said as he started to turn towards the stairs.

Yami paused and watched as he crossed the threshold into the little laundry area. He started wandering around the space, peering around. Yami frowned, watching, wondering what he was looking for. There were no shelves, no cabinets, and no reason for the Puzzle to be here. But the Ring was still pointing stubbornly into the little room and somehow Kaiba seemed to think there was something here.

To his shock, Kaiba suddenly grabbed the enormous washer in his hands and hauled, yanking it roughly back from the wall with a show of brute strength. Yami blinked in surprise, then strode across the room as Kaiba let go and slid into the space he'd created. Yami had to stand on his toes to peer over the top of the ridiculously big washing machine, seeing a safe set into the wall. Kaiba looked over his shoulder at him with a smirk.

"Got to admit, he had a good idea. Who thinks to look back here?"

"How do you plan to get my Puzzle out?" Yami asked, the Ring's cone still pointing steadily at the safe.

"See that?" Kaiba was pointing at something near the front that to Yami looked like a small black piece of glass. "That's a fingerprint scanner."

"Yours won't match," Yami said automatically. A second too late realizing that that was obvious.

Kaiba gave him an infuriating smirk. "Glad to know you can pick up on these things."

Yami growled at him, but watched without interrupting as he pulled a small case out of his coat pocket. He opened it to reveal a roll of tape that looked narrow and clear. Yami frowned at it, still peering over the top of the washer. Kaiba pulled the tape out of the case and held it up. He broke off a small piece.

"Scotch tape. No one's smart enough to wipe the print scanner after they're done with it, so..."

Kaiba pressed the tape to the scanner, then lifted it back up. Yami saw nothing on the tape, but Kaiba merely retracted his hand through his sleeve again and used it to scrub the scanner. Yami frowned more deeply, wondering what Kaiba planned if this didn't work. But his fears were unjustified as Kaiba lined up the piece of tape and pressed it to the scanner. The machine whirred softly, then beeped and the lock clicked open. Kaiba looked extremely pleased with himself as he grabbed the handle of the safe and pulled the thick door open.

Yami breathed a sigh of relief. Gleaming among carefully arranged folders, stacks of wrapped bills, and boxes was his Puzzle, sitting on the top and largest shelf. Kaiba caught up the chain and lifted it lightly out of the safe, swinging it over his shoulder in the cramped space so Yami could catch it. He did so, happy to feel the familiar heavy, slick charm between his hands. He threw the chain around his neck and allowed the Puzzle to hang solidly against his stomach.

Kaiba got to his feet and slid out of the space between the safe and the washer, leaving all the rest of the riches in the safe. "There you go, everyone's happy. Let's--"

"Hey!" They both jumped, turning to see flashlights arcing near the top of the stairs. "Police! Come upstairs with your hands on your head!"

Kaiba grumbled, then looked at Yami. Smiling, Yami called to the magick of the Ring and disappeared. Kaiba turned and walked up the stairs behind him, raising his hands to the top of his head.

"I'm coming out," he announced dully.

Yami entered silently into the living room ahead of Kaiba as the two cops backed up, both with guns drawn and pointing. They both looked surprised to see Kaiba and the older of the pair scowled.

"What the hell are you doing here, Seto Kaiba? What's--"

Yami pushed into their minds, using the Ring to erase their memories of having seen Kaiba in the house. Luckily they hadn't yet seen the Jet in the backyard, so it was easy to cover their tracks. Kaiba turned, dropping his hands, and walked out of the house as soon as the cop stopped talking. Yami made sure the job was thorough before walking out after Kaiba and climbing up into the Jet. Kaiba started the turbines and lifted the Jet up into the air before taking off. Yami released his hold on the magick of the Ring, letting the cops go.

The Jet flew silently through the air towards Domino. Yami looked down at his Puzzle, stroking it gently with his fingertips. He was very glad to have it back with him. He was happy to take off the Ring and hold it in his lap, leaving only the Puzzle around his neck, like it was supposed to be.

The two hour flight back was completed in silence and it was around a quarter of one when Kaiba pulled up alongside the curb again to the apartment. Yami hesitated a moment, sitting in the passenger seat and looking out the windshield. He felt distinctly uncomfortable and for a long moment he couldn't figure out why before finally he realized that he felt awkward in Kaiba's presence. He felt awkward because it was Friday and it was only the previous night that he'd slept with Sentoryou. He'd just left Sentoryou's bed that morning and now he was sitting beside Kaiba, a former lover however brief. Frowning, he pushed the discomfort forcibly away. Ridiculous. He and Kaiba were over and he certainly had nothing to be ashamed about sleeping with Sentoryou. He enjoyed the other man's company now and he and Kaiba had not cared about each other to any degree. He turned his head, looking at Kaiba's profile.

"Thank you, Kaiba."

Kaiba grunted without turning his head. Yami smiled and slid out of the car, shutting the door and walking up the walk to the front door of his apartment as Kaiba pulled away and drove off. Yami unlocked the front door and stepped in, finding the apartment dark and still. He stayed by the door until his night vision had kicked in before making his way through the apartment and down the hall. He paused long enough to peek in on Joey, finding him sprawled across his bed, snoring peacefully.

Yami shut the door and headed into his own bedroom, moving across to the chest where he kept the Items. He set the Ring inside with the other Items and shut the lid. He slid the lock back into place and set his Puzzle at the foot of his bed before dressing down for the night. Once he was just in his boxers, he studied his body in the mirror on the inside of the closet door. The cuts and burns on his chest were still visible, though mostly healed after a week. The chain-link marks down his forearms had faded from black to a strange bluish-purple. They looked like they would be gone by the end of the month.

He shut the closet door and walked back over to his bed, picking up his Puzzle. He settled it on his nightstand and shut off his light, crawling into bed.

******

A couple of weeks later Yami was once again internally climbing the walls while waiting for time to pass. Only this time, it was because Yugi was coming home. Joey had gone to get him from the hospital and was to be back at any minute. Yami had spent the whole day cleaning up the apartment, doing the dishes and laundry, and cooking a dinner for Yugi to come home to. Yugi had spent three weeks in the hospital getting detoxed and talking to counselors and Dr. Johnston was of the impression that having Yugi come home to his friends was the best thing for him now that his black secret was out. Though she had had Joey and Yami promise to keep a close eye on him, to count his depression pills, and to report to her weekly how Yugi acted, if he ate regularly, and the like. She had also set up bi-weekly in-house appointments the grief counselor to come and evaluate Yugi. She'd warned Yami and Joey that Yugi didn't like the idea, but had promised to go along with it.

Yami had not attempted opening his link with Yugi since the day he'd left Sentoryou's hotel room. Even now, though he was anxious to talk with Yugi, he was forcing himself to wait until Joey arrived with him at the apartment. He hoped that when, and if, Yugi allowed their link to open again, he'd be able to feel just how well or sick Yugi was.

He was just setting the table when the front door opened. Setting down the stack of bowls in his hands, he crossed to the entrance to the living room and stopped. Yugi had just walked inside with Joey and it wasn't until that moment that Yami realized just how sick Yugi had been getting. In just three weeks he'd gained a little weight, some color, and looked much healthier. He stopped when he saw Yami and stared at him for a moment before offering a tentative smile.

Yami crossed the room and enfolded Yugi in a hug, which was usually something Yugi would have instigated. Yugi felt stiff in his arms before he relaxed and hugged Yami back, burying his face against his shoulder.

"Don't cry, Aibou," Yami said softly. "It's over and you know I don't think any less of you."

Yugi sniffled, then raised his head and took a deep breath, blinking back the tears and giving Yami another shaky smile. /You don't, but I do./

The sudden opening of their link caught Yami off-guard, but he smiled back, mentally evaluating Yugi as he did so. There was still a shadow over Yugi, he could feel it. But Yugi did not feel nearly as hopelessly despairing as he had when they'd said goodbye to him. Even getting his problem out in the open and not being rejected had done a world of good for him. Despite his pitiless way of going about it, maybe Yami would have to thank Kaiba for backing Yugi into a corner there in the hospital room.

//The only thing you have to be ashamed about is taking drugs,// Yami said firmly. //And that is over.//

/Yeah, it is,/ Yugi said in a feverent manner that made Yami believe him. /They made me forget for a while, but I didn't like the way they made me feel. I just...couldn't escape the pain of losing everyone. If I didn't have you and Joey, I don't know what I'd do./

Yami smiled, but tried to change the subject, in order to keep Yugi from brooding. //Are you hungry at all?//

Yugi nodded his head then turned around and hugged Joey hard around the middle without warning. "Joey, I'm so sorry what I said and did."

Joey hugged Yugi back. "No prob, Yug'. That wasn't you anyway."

Yugi looked like he wanted to argue for a second, but then he let the absolving comment slide and grabbed the handle of his suitcase from Joey, refusing to allow him to carry it into his room for him. Yami went back into the dining room to finish setting the table and Joey followed after him.

"Think it's going to be okay?" Joey asked him in a low voice, keeping an eye on the doorway.

Yami nodded, setting the bowls out at each place setting and adding chopsticks. "Yugi's soul feels much lighter than before. It is not back to normal yet, Yugi is getting there. He is being convinced that there was nothing he could have done for his parents."

Joey nodded. "He was a little quiet on the drive home, but when I came to get him, he seemed like he was really happy to see me."

"I'm sure that he was," Yami said.

Joey didn't respond and a moment later Yugi came into the dining room. Yami had set the meal out on the table and poured water into cups. The three of them sat down to the meal and though it was not exactly like before, Yugi was clearly more at ease.

Over the next few days, Yugi appeared to be more than willing to get back into his own life. Once again unemployed, he took upon himself all of the household chores. Joey counted Yugi's depression medication every night after Yugi either went to bed or went to take a shower and reported to Yami that no more than one pill was taken in a day. The counselor came at her appointed times and Yugi sat down to talk with her in the living room without resisting.

But on Yugi's fifth day back at home, Joey and Yami were in the kitchen when Yugi came in, a strange look on his face. He was holding something in his hand, but Yami couldn't immediately see what it was.

"Aibou? Yugi, what's wrong?"

The both of them started forward, but stopped when Yugi held up what was in his hand. It was a pair of thick, orange medication bottles. They were not Yugi's medication, as he had only one and it was grey. From the horrified look on Joey's face, Yami was sure they were his.

"I s-saw these on your dresser when I went to get your laundry," Yugi said weakly, looking steadily up into Joey's face. "I shouldn't have looked, but I did. Anti-retrovirals... Joey, what are these for?"

Joey hesitated, looking over at Yami. "I forgot to put them away."

"Joey."

Yugi's voice made them both look back at him. He was still holding the pill bottles out, looking at Joey intensely. Joey frowned, running his hand through his hair like he always did when he was upset. Yami stood and said nothing, letting Joey handle it. Yugi was going to find out eventually. Maybe it was better they just got it over with and tried to prevent Yugi from falling through again. Joey sighed and lowered his hand, gesturing helplessly.

"Yug'... I have HIV."

The pill bottles hit the floor with a double clatter, though the lids were firmly on and none of the pills spilled. Yugi stared at Joey with wide, horrified eyes.

"H-How?" Joey shook his head, but Yugi look at Yami then back to him. "Tell me. Please, don't hide things from me."

Yami wasn't sure what to say. If they told Yugi the truth, that Joey had contracted HIV while prostituting his body to pay for Yugi's medical bills, it would only send Yugi back down the path of self-blame. Even though Joey's choice had been his own and that it was no one's fault, perhaps not even the unnamed partner's, would not help.

Joey took a deep breath and let it out. "Yugi, I got HIV having sex for money so I could pay the bills. Yami didn't know about it until I--"

He broke off as Yugi took several steps backwards. His back hit the jamb and he slowly slid down it to sit on the floor, his expression stunned. Joey walked forward and knelt down in front of him, reaching out to take both of his hands between his.

"Yug', look at me."

Yugi slowly lifted his eyes to Joey's face. His eyes were dull with shock and glittering with tears. Yami came and stood behind before kneeling down and peering over his shoulder to watch Yugi, though he waited for Joey to say what he had to say.

"Yugi, this is not your fault. Okay? Do you hear me? It is not your fault."

Yugi searched Joey's face slowly. He didn't say anything, but he didn't burst into tears or withdraw either. Joey rubbed Yugi's knuckles with his thumbs, looking at him closely.

"I made my choice to help you any way that I could," Joey went on. "Don't ever blame yourself."

"Joey..." Yugi's eyes teared further, a couple running down his cheeks. He suddenly yanked his hands out of Joey's grasp and threw his arms around him, bursting into tears against his shoulder.

Joey enfolded Yugi in his arms and rubbed his back, pressing his face against the top of Yugi's head and not saying anything. Yami put his hand on Joey's shoulder and took one of Yugi's hands that was pressed against Joey's back.

//Aibou, you do know what Joey says is true, don't you?//

/Yeah.../ Yugi said in a brittle voice. /I can't believe this./

"That's why I've been pushing you away," Joey said to Yugi. "Because I can't get you sick."

Yugi lifted his head, forcing Joey to move his, and stared at him. Then he suddenly surged to his feet, nearly knocking Joey over backwards, and left the room. Joey and Yami both looked after him but neither went after him. Joey got to his feet and sighed heavily, closing his eyes. Yami stood and put his hand on Joey's arm.

"It's probably better than he knows."

Joey nodded without opening his eyes. "Do you think we should go in and check on him?"

"Not right away. I think Yugi needs to think about this."

"His pills..."

"I don't believe Yugi will do anything to himself. His mind doesn't feel like it's in that state."

Joey nodded, then opened his eyes and sighed. "I'm going for a walk, okay?"

Yami nodded and stepped back, watching as Joey turned and headed out into the living room. The door shut and Yami let his forehead thunk against the jamb of the doorway. After a moment, he straightened and fetched the pill bottles from the floor before he turned and headed into Yugi's room. Though Yugi didn't answer when he knocked, the door was unlocked, so he went inside. It was dark inside, but Yami could make out Yugi's shape on the bed.

"Yugi?"

"He's going to die, isn't he?" Yugi's voice was weak.

Yami sat down on the edge of the bed and stroked Yugi's hair. //I don't know, Aibou. There is no cure now, but Joey is taking medication to treat it and the doctors say you can live with it for a long time.//

/Not much of a life.../

Yami sighed, then twisted around and laid down on the bed with him, pulling Yugi into his arms. He was stiff, but he didn't resist, his back trembling with repressed sobs against Yami's chest.

//Aibou, Joey made the decision to become a prostitute not just to pay your medical bills, but to pay our bills as well. You are not to blame. And don't treat Joey differently now that you know.//

/He's the one who's been treating us differently./ Yugi sniffled, but he didn't sound like he was accusing Joey. /That's it, isn't it? Why he pushed me away? Not because of what I'd done. That's what he said./

//Partly because of what you'd done.// It hurt to say it, but Yami wasn't going to let Yugi get away with not facing using the drugs and the booze. //But mostly because of the disease. He doesn't want to run the risk of infecting you or I.//

Yugi fell silent. Yami stayed with him a bit longer before disentangling and heading out to leave Yugi alone to think. He took the depression-pills with him, despite what he'd said to Joey. It wasn't long after he'd left Yugi's room before Joey came home from his walk. To Yami's surprise, he had a pizza with him.

"It's dinnertime," he said when he saw Yami's look. "Can't get more normal than pizza."

Yami said nothing, just began pulling out plates and glasses. //Yugi, will you join us for dinner?//

Joey pulled a butcher's knife from the drawer, sighing. "They never the cut the pie all the way."

He set the knife on the counter beside the unopened pizza box and went to fetch the water jug out of the refrigerator. Yugi did not answer Yami, but he put out three sets anyway. A tingle across his awareness alerted him to the fact Yugi was in the room and he turned around.

Yugi was standing by the counter, his face white and his eyes wide, holding the butcher's knife in his hand.

"Yug?" Joey had seen him, too. "What are you doing?"

//Aibou?//

Yugi moved forward silently, holding the knife with white knuckles. Joey held up his hands, moving to put himself between Yugi and Yami. "Put that down, Yug'. Come on, let's have some pizza, okay?"

//Yugi, what are you doing? Do what Joey says and put the knife down.//

Joey wouldn't let Yami past him. He kept moving in his way when he tried to get around him, so Yami could barely see what Yugi was doing. He was still walking towards them slowly, holding the knife, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on Joey.

"Everyone is dying," he said.

"Yug', I'm not dying. I'm sick, yeah, but I've got forty--"

"You don't know that."

"Yugi, damn it, stop it. Give me that damn knife."

Yugi had stopped in the middle of the kitchen, a foot from Joey, who was still holding Yami back. Because of the refrigerator at his back, the counter to his left, and the table to his right, Yami couldn't get around Joey. He peered around his arm, trying to push into Yugi's mind and reason with him, but Yugi snapped their link shut.

"Do you love me?" Yugi suddenly asked Joey.

"Put the knife down, Yug'."

"Do you? Yes or no?"

"Of course I do. Even after all the stupid shit you've done, I still do."

Yugi didn't even flinch at the words. "If you could touch me, would you?"

"Yug', that's not really an issue--"

"Would you?!"

"Yes! I would. Now give me--"

Yugi suddenly lunged forward and grabbed Joey's left wrist with his right hand. Joey instinctively jerked back, but Yugi had the maniacal strength of desperation and kept him from pulling his hand back. The knife arced and Joey yelled in pain as the tip slashed open his palm. He tried to jerk back again, but Yugi held on, pulled forward. Even as Yami watched, trying to get around the pair to help, Yugi suddenly pulled Joey's hand up to his mouth and sucked. Joey managed to finally rip his hand from Yugi's grip, but not before Yugi had gotten blood in his mouth. He swallowed and licked his lips, flinching in clear disgust, but with a triumphant look gleaming in his eyes.

"Yug', what the hell did you do?!" Joey roared, cradling his bleeding hand in the other. Blood dripped on the linoleum, though it didn't gush. "What did you do?"

"Now you don't have to worry," Yugi said softly, letting the blood-edged knife clatter into the sink. There was still blood on his chin. "You've done so much for me, Joey. I'm not going to let you die for me."

Yami and Joey both stared at him. Yugi wiped the blood from his chin, but licked the red smear off his palm, still wincing at the taste of blood. He stared back at the two of them, evidently waiting for them to bring the hammer down. Yami just felt lost in shock. Yugi had just infected himself with Joey's tainted blood. He didn't know what to say.

"Yugi, how could you do that?!" Joey wailed. "Saving you was the point!"

"You did save me," Yugi mumbled. "More times than I think I know. You've saved my life. But life isn't going to be worth living if you die because of me, even if it's not my fault. I want to live or die with you, Joey. I...love you."

Joey stared at Yugi some more, still cradling his palm though his seemed oblivious to the blood dripping on his shoes. "You're ins--"

He broke off, but Yugi nodded slowly, with complete seriousness. "I know I'm insane," he said. "But I can't bear the thought of living without you, even if that's what you wanted in the first place."

Yugi walked forward and wrapped his arms around Joey's waist, burying his face against his stomach. Joey stayed stock still for a minute, before almost mechanically wrapping his right arm around Yugi. He made several choked sounds.

"This is not what I wanted..."

"I know," Yugi said muffedly.

Yami just stood there. Yugi opened their link again and moved his head, peering at Yami around Joey's side. /Yami, I'm sorry. I know you've done all this to keep me alive... but I have to repay you this way, because I can't live without Joey. Not knowing he's sick. If he really didn't want me...but he does, and I...This is all I could do./

Yami said nothing, looking back at Yugi, feeling as if there was nothing he could say. He still felt sucker-punched, even if he knew what Yugi was saying. Taking a deep breath, he moved around the still couple and headed outside.

It wasn't until he was over a block away that he sat down under a tree and buried his face in his knees.

Yami wasn't sure how long he sat there, but when he lifted his head, it was dark. He hadn't cried at all, but he still felt emotionally drained. This was not what was supposed to happen, none of it. Joey sick and now Yugi, too, at least most likely. Yugi clearly still teetering on the edge of sanity. What was he going to do?

Yami slowly got to his feet and returned home. There was no where else for him to go and he needed to see how Yugi and Joey were doing. When he did get home, he found them sitting together at the table in the kitchen, awkward as they ate the pizza. Yugi's actions weren't a sudden fix and Yami wondered if they hadn't been in vain. But he said nothing, just sat down and grabbed one of the remaining slices, not looking at either of them.

He just didn't know what was going to happen anymore.

******

And now here he was with Kaiba, yet again, tracking down the remaining members of Takanawa's group. Just two days after Yugi had swallowed Joey's blood. Somehow he kept getting shoved in with Kaiba, which didn't make any sense to him.

He'd seen Sentoryou three times in the past four weeks, but the relationship didn't seem to be going anywhere for Yami. The same could not be said for Sentoryou. Yami could sense how happy he was every time he saw him, how eager he was to see him again. The sex was good, but Yami felt no connection with Sentoryou, no matter how nice he was and how much time he spent on him. Still, he was reluctant to break up with him. Love was out of the question, but he did like him and enjoyed his company, sexual or not. Plus Sentoryou was an escape. He knew that was using him, but his self-disgust was not enough to change his mind.

He was supposed to meet Sentoryou the following night, though he hadn't seen him in a few days. If he survived this, he might consider doing right by him and breaking up with him. Or at least coming clean about his feelings.

"You've got your Puzzle and what else?" Kaiba asked, suddenly breaking him out of his thoughts.

"Just my Puzzle." Yami turned around and arched to grab the item off the backseat he'd seen when he'd gotten in. "And this."

"Oh, yeah."

Kaiba must have forgotten about the katana that was still in the backseat. He'd simply chosen the same car he'd used the month previously, which was good fortune. But as Yami was turning back towards the front, he saw a dark, red stain on the back of Kaiba's coat. When he'd been thrown over Kaiba's shoulder, he'd been paying more attention to Choukichi than anything else, but now he saw that Kaiba was hurt.

"You're bleeding."

"I know. Ricochet when Choukichi and I were getting out of my mansion."

Yami frowned, studying the spread of blood. A ricochet maybe, but the blood stain was a good five inches across. It was probably still bleeding. Kaiba would need it taken care of as soon as possible.

The rest of the drive was taken in silence and they arrived with Choukichi and his men at the known address an hour later. The house was a small, two-story bungalow set in a cul-de-sac with two other houses. Not the best place to stage a war, but that was all they could get. The three cars were pulled up in a line, blocking the cul-de-sac's entrance and they poured out.

Choukichi opened his trunk, showing off a full load of guns. He pulled out a small, semi-automatic, then held one out to Kaiba. Kaiba took it, with obvious reluctance. Yami looked at him disdainfully as he held out yet another gun to him. Choukichi looked down at the katana in his hands and smirked, but shrugged and set the other gun back in his trunk, closing the lid very softly. Yami could not go invisible so he simply walked around behind the house to the right of the address, Kaiba and Choukichi following him while the rest of the group went to the left.

The bungalow had lights on in one of the top rooms and the downstairs living room. There were no signs of movement, even as Yami, Kaiba, and Choukichi snuck up to the right side of the house. Then Yami jumped as a man suddenly came around the corner. Choukichi immediately rasied his gun, but Kaiba grabbed his shoulder to stop him. Daisuke came out of the shadows, holding both of his hands up. Choukichi lowered his gun, but only slightly.

"How many?" Kaiba asked in a barely discernible voice.

"Seven."

"Thought there was only five left?"

"Five men, the wife, and the son."

"Can you get them out of there?" Yami asked. He'd never kill a woman or child.

"Not without alerting them. You gotta go in now and do it, I'm pushing my luck getting you these chances."

"All right, go away," Choukichi said. "I don't like betrayers, so go before I take you out first."

Daisuke looked at Choukichi a moment, then at Kaiba before turning and walking across the yard to the house next door, disappearing around the corner. Yami looked up at Kaiba, but it was Choukichi who started forward. He went around to the front door. Yami and Kaiba were just following after him when he suddenly pulled a cylinder out of his jacket and threw it right through it right through the front window.

Kaiba's hand suddenly came across Yami's eyes, blocking his vision. Even before he could try to pull his hand away, a bright flash just penetrated the cracks between his fingers. Startled and confused shouting started, then came a volley of gunshots. Kaiba's hand left Yami's face and he saw only his jacket disappearing into the open front door. Yami cursed and followed, raising his Puzzle, holding the katana in his other hand.

Gunshots pierced the night, both silenced and unsilenced. Screams and curses accompanied the reports. As Yami followed Kaiba into the house, he saw a man lying across the couch, shot four times, bleeding silently into the fabric. Another man lay face-down on the carpet, bleeding from the back.

More gunshots came from the back of the house. Kaiba was standing near the wall to the entrance leading into the dining room, holding the gun up, though he wasn't moving. He wasn't scared, just not foolish enough to go rushing in. Yami darted past him across the room and up the stairs. He heard Kaiba hiss his name, but he ignored him.

At the top of the stairs, he peered around the corner, but saw no one on either side of the hallway. He stepped up into it, raising up the katana. He hadn't gone but a few paces when a man slowly walked out of a doorway down the hall.

Katana stopped in the center of the hallway, holding a sword of his own in his right hand. He saw Yami, but didn't look the least bit surprised or frightened. His soulless black eyes wandered down to the katana Yami was holding and they narrowed slightly. They flicked back up to his face and he raised his sword. Yami let go of his Puzzle and raised his own. He could have just crushed Katana, but he wasn't in the mood for quick.

He heard footsteps behind him, but he didn't turn. If it were an enemy, they would have shot him where he stood. It was probably Kaiba.

Katana stepped forward and swung his sword. In the cramped space of the hallway, he couldn't get a good arc, so what would have taken Yami's head off would simply slit his throat. Yami brought up his own sword and blocked, then shoved Katana's sword away before stabbing at his stomach. Katana twisted away, up against one of the walls chest-first, his unrestrained right arm stabbing back at Yami in return. Yami stepped back out of his reach, watching as Katana turned back to face him fully. They squared off again, Katana following Yami down the hall to the more open space of the landing.

Katana raised his sword over his head and brought it down. Yami raised his, catching the strike, though he could only withstand his blow, not push it back. He instead jerked his sword down, ducking and twisting, and hacked at Katana's legs. The man jumped up, then spun a kick at his head. Yami dodged, though not enough. His foot caught a glancing blow to his temple and he hit the floor. He rolled immediately onto his back, even as his head swam and pounded, and knocked Katana's sword aside, just missing a stab to the belly.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kaiba standing a few steps down the staircase, his gun up. He was aiming at Katana, but the smaller man was darting too fast for him to get a clean shot. Yami struck at Katana's legs again, but Katana knocked his sword aside. He suddenly took two quick steps forward and dropped down on Yami, his knee cracked his right forearm into the carpet, pinning his sword arm. Yami bared his teeth, but didn't cry out, grabbing his Puzzle with his left hand.

Katana had the tip of his sword resting against Yami's neck, but he turned his head to look at Kaiba. He didn't say anything, but the threat was clear; if Kaiba tried to shoot him--even if he succeeded--Yami's throat would be pierced. Kaiba didn't move, the gun still raised and aimed, but he didn't try to take a shot.

That was fine with Yami. He gave up trying to fight Katana hand-to-hand, recognizing a man whose skills outweighed his own. Instead, he called forth the Shadows, feeling the burn of the Third Eye on his forehead. The light caught Katana's attention and he looked down, just as Yami charged into his mind.

Katana jerked to his feet, his eyes wide. He didn't scream, but his face looked terrified. Yami slowly sat up, keeping his gaze concentrated on Katana, who suddenly jerked back several steps. He didn't have enough room and hit the stairs, stepping back into space as Kaiba moved to the side.

Katana fell over backwards and went bumping down the stairs, hitting with several bone-crunching thuds before he stopped at the bottom. Kaiba was looking over his shoulder, his expression mild before he turned his head towards Yami. He stepped forward and held out his hands, pulling Yami to his feet.

"That took care of that."

Yami peered over the edge of the stairs. Katana lay in a heap at the bottom of the stairs, clearly dead. His head was at an unnatural angle, his black eyes staring sightlessly up at the ceiling, still filled with terror.

"What did you show him?" Kaiba asked.

Downstairs the gunshots had gone silent. Whether that meant all of Takanawa's men were gone, Yami wasn't sure. It might be the eye of the storm before a second wave of violence ripped through the house. In answer to Kaiba's question, he shrugged.

"Remember I told you I could make them think a giant snake was eating them? It seemed like a good idea."

Kaiba grunted and swept past him. Yami followed after him as he went down the hall towards the doorway Katana had come out of, gun raised. He peered into the room, then straightened up in surprise.

"Well, didn't expect that."

Yami frowned, coming even with him, looking into the room. He gasped in dismay, dropping the katana and running into the room. Sentoryou was in the room, tied up to a simple wooden chair, a gag wound around his mouth.

tbc…


	82. Chapter 82

Chapter Eighty-Two:

Seto stepped aside as Yami rushed inside the room to the aid of Sentoryou, who was bound to a chair and gagged. The older man made a delighted noise behind his gag at the sight of Yami, who hastened to undo the knot at the back and take the gag out.

"Are you all right?" Yami asked.

"Fine," Sentoryou said a little hoarsely. "What are you doing here?"

"We came to finish this with Takanawa's group."

Yami picked up the katana when he couldn't undo the ropes binding Sentoryou to the chair by hand. He slid the blade in between the ropes and Sentoryou's left arm, meticulously sawing through them. Seto watched, shifting his attention between Yami and the hallway, which remained empty. The silence of the house was now beginning to be spooky and he wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. While it was good that none of the bad guys were flying down the hall at him with guns blazing, where were Choukichi, his men, or even Daisuke?

The ropes finally snapped and Sentoryou stood up. He immediately enfolded Yami in a hug, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

"I'm glad you're safe," he said.

Seto watched, sneering at the sappy display. Yami stood with his arms at his sides, smiling a little in a strange way, finally reaching up with his free hand to pat Sentoryou's arm awkwardly. Sentoryou stepped back, but gripped Yami's biceps, holding him in place as he kissed him hard. He let go quickly enough and smiled.

"We should get out of here," he said.

"And here I wanted to watch your PDA."

Yami frowned at Seto, but raised his katana and stepped forward. Sentoryou followed closely and Seto stepped back into the hallway, leading the way towards the stairs. He kept his gun raised, though he had yet to use it. Yami and Sentoryou followed at his back, following as he walked down the stairs, stepping around Katana's crumpled body. Sentoryou muttered something as they passed the dead man, but Seto didn't hear what that was.

The three of them moved cautiously onto the ground floor. Still no sound, not even footsteps. Seto tightened his grip on his gun as they walked into the living room.

The room was a scene of carnage. Aside from the two bodies that had been in there when they'd walked in, Seto saw one of Choukichi's men who was hanging half-way through the doorway between the living room and the kitchen, and another who had been cut down running for the door. And most shocking off all, Choukichi himself was leaning against the wall beside the front window near the front door. He'd been shot in the head, a neat hole gaping blackly in the center of his forehead. A trail of blood and gore ran down the wall from his approximate height down to where his body was sitting. His eyes were part-way open, showing only the whites. A single trickle of blood ran from the bullet hole down between his eyes, around his nose, to drip off his chin onto his chest.

Seto stared at him for a moment. He surely hadn't been expecting someone as skilled as Choukichi to be cut down, but that only showed just how true the saying was that guns were the great equalizers.

Gun. Seto's eyes traveled further down and he noticed that Choukichi's gun was gone. So were the guns of the men in the doorways, the one on the couch, and the one on the carpet. Someone had come and collected them from the dead, stockpiling weapons for themselves while taking away possible weapons for Seto and the others.

"Get down," Seto warned, walking cautiously across the room towards the window and open door. He was careful not to make himself visible through the doorway while he walked over to where Choukichi leaned against the wall, and reached out to draw the curtain away just the smallest bit. He peered out, though he could see nothing but the front yard, the two houses on either side of the one they were in, and the cars in the street. They were still blocking the street.

It was unlikely that everyone that had been in the house was dead but for the three of them. Though it was possible that the last man standing had himself been mortally wounded, Seto didn't believe in those odds. Someone was still alive, but whether they were here or not wasn't obvious. The question was: did they risk going outside, with the possibility of being struck down by a hidden enemy? Yami, unfortunately, couldn't go invisible to sneak out and scout around like he usually did.

Seto jumped a foot when a man suddenly walked through the doorway. He whipped his gun around, but the man grabbed the barrel and shoved it away from his face. Just in time. The bullet slammed into the frame of the door.

"Easy, it's just me," Daisuke said, wrinkling his nose at the plaster powder sifting through the air in front of him, a couple of small wood splinters caught in his hair. He had a habit of startling them.

Seto growled, but lowered the gun. "Where have you been?"

"Hiding," Daisuke said, without the slightest bit of shame. His eyes traveled around the room from the bodies to where Yami and Sentoryou stood across the room near the bottom of the stairs. He looked down at Choukichi's dead body. "Well, that sucks."

Seto glanced briefly at Yami and Sentoryou, who were crossing the room towards them. Why had Daisuke come back after all this time, and why didn't he seemed surprised that they were alive while Choukichi and the rest were dead?

"Where is everyone else?" Seto demanded.

Daisuke blinked at him. "Didn't you shoot them all?"

"No. We were upstairs looking for more people, while Choukichi and his guys were down here. But they're dead and there's no one else in the house. Who got out?"

Daisuke shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't see anyone leave the front door. Might have gone out the back. Didn't see or hear any cars though."

Seto frowned. Why did he have the feeling that something wasn't right? "Tell me exactly who was here, what weapons were here, what cars or equipment, anything."

"I told you. Five of Takanawa's guys, me, the kid, and the mother. Two cars. Each of us men had a gun, maybe a couple of extras somewhere around here. Oh, and he was here." He gestured at Sentoryou.

"Why were you tied up?" Seto demanded of Sentoryou before Yami could ask.

"Shin picked him up earlier," Daisuke answered. "We've seen him with your friend there and we were going to...ask...him if he'd be willing to lure you to us, Kaiba."

Sentoryou was glaring at Daisuke. To Yami, he said, "Is he trustworthy?"

"Yes. He has been on our side the whole time."

So it seemed like Sentoryou really was innocent. His only connection had been having Buck as a nephew. And if Takanawa's goons had seen him with Yami on one of their dates, it would have been a good idea to kidnap him and torture Yami's whereabouts out of him, or use his pain to force Yami to come to them. That was probably why Katana had come out of the room Sentoryou had been in; they'd interrupted him in the early stages of his game. The goons had probably tried to find Yami himself, only Seto had gotten to him first. Once they had Yami again, they'd use him to make Seto come to his rescue. They were probably cursing the fact they hadn't done that in the first place when they'd had Yami before, instead of hanging him from Seto's front door as a deterrent. Seto didn't really understand why Takanawa's goons had danced around trying to kill him all this time before that night, since killing was obviously not something they were shy about. Takanawa had probably been expecting to break Seto's spirit, so sure of himself. Fool.

"The cars are in the garage?" Seto asked Daisuke.

Daisuke nodded. "And I didn't see anybody or any car leave. I came back once the shooting stopped."

Seto half wanted to drag Daisuke around and identify the bodies, not to mention count them. But he doubted hanging around here was going to be a good idea. Even now, the occupants of the other houses had probably called the cops about a dozen times. They had to get out of here.

"Let's go," he said.

With extreme reluctance, he let Sentoryou and Daisuke follow him and Yami out to the car that was still sitting sideways in the road at the end of the cul-de-sac. The four of them scanned the night as they walked, but there was no movement, not even from the windows of the houses next door. As they were approaching the car, Seto heard the faint sounds of sirens, meaning that at least someone had called the cops. The four of them piled into the car and took off. Seto whipped the car around and headed for the nearest highway. They had to get away, maybe even out of Domino.

As he drove, Seto pulled his phone out of his jacket and called Mokuba again. It was after eleven-thirty, meaning that it was almost four in Cambridge. Mokuba would be still at college, as his classes ended at six-thirty, but Marianne should be home. Though if she did pick up, he wasn't going to alarm her. Stressing a pregnant woman was not a good idea. He would just find out that everything was all right. Then, later, he'd decide whether he wanted to go over and get them somewhere else. First, he'd have to find out who was dead. Unfortunately, the newspapers wouldn't report the dead until identity was confirmed.

"Hello?" It was Marianne.

"Hello, Marianne. It's Seto."

"Hi, Seto!" she said cheerfully. "Oh, I'm sorry, Mokuba's still at college."

"I know." He hesitated. "I was just checking in. The baby's about due, isn't he?"

Marianne giggled. "About six weeks, yet, if he's early. Everything is fine. He's kicking me all the time. He's going to be a strong one."

Seto smiled a little. At least he had his answer; Marianne would have told him if anything unusual had happened. Plus, now that he had gotten ahold of her, she would tell Mokuba, and his brother would call him as soon as possible. Then he could be more candid, but at least he could relax for the moment.

"That's good, Marianne. When Mokuba gets in, will you tell him to call me? I need to talk to him more about the Duel School. That's rather been pushed to the side at the moment."

"Okay. I'll tell him...Oh, wait won't it be late?"

"I'll be up. Working."

Marianne laughed, but then sighed. "Don't work yourself too hard, Seto. I'll let him know you called."

"Thank you, Marianne."

"You're welcome. How are things on your end?"

"Busy," Seto said, somewhat truthfully.

"Aren't they always? Mokuba's always busy, too, but we've gotten the baby's room all set up now."

"That's good. Anything I should get him?"

Seto could almost hear Marianne smiling. "I'm having a late baby shower on the 25th. Can you come?"

The thought of sitting around while a bunch of women cooed over booties and bibs was hardly Seto's idea of fun, but he agreed anyway. Hopefully Mokuba would be kind enough to make up an excuse to get him out of there. Marianne asked him to bring whatever he wanted, which didn't help him out anyway. He said goodbye to her and hung up.

"Drop me off," Daisuke said suddenly. "If anyone survived, we're supposed to call a number and report in."

"What number?"

Daisuke shook his head. "You can't fool them calling yourself. When we call, if anyone did survive, we'll meet up again. Once I get the address, I can tell you how many and where."

"Who was there at the house?"

"Uh, me, Shin, Katana, Akihito, Fuyuki, and Kiyoto. Rikiya, the son. And Reika, the mother."

"Is that all that of Takanawa's men? You're sure?"

"Oh, yeah. Takanawa didn't have much left after you took over Kaiba Corp. Most of his men switched to Akira and Tetsuo after he lost all his power--though we took care of them--and the rest of us that stayed, you killed most of them. Max, Andrew, Ferret, and the ones I just told you, that's it."

So, three men Seto had never heard of. Takanawa's goons had been more than just the ones he'd seen at the warehouse. Katana was definitely dead, and Daisuke was with them, narrowing it to four more. And Seto had seen two dead men he didn't recognize in the living room. That left Shin and one other. It was unlikely that all of Choukichi's men were killed, so where were the survivors? Something really was wrong.

Seto couldn't go home. They'd already tried to kill him there, which showed they were serious about it now. They couldn't go to Yami's place, because they probably knew where he lived if they'd been following him around. That left no other choice but another hotel.

Seto glanced in the rearview mirror, but he saw no other car on the street. No one was following them. He pulled up to the curb for Daisuke to get out.

"I'll find out all I can," Daisuke said. "And call you back. By the way, Kaiba, I'm not so sure three million's enough anymore."

Seto glanced at the man in the passenger seat. The other grinned at him, then opened the door and climbed out without stating a price. Seto narrowed his eyes and watched as he shut the door and walked down the sidewalk. He really needed to think about what to do next. Now that Daisuke, Shin, and the last man were the only ones left standing, maybe they'd give up and get out. Especially now that Choukichi was dead, earning them the wrath of Akira. But Seto couldn't trust that. Yami was right, to get any peace, they would have to kill everyone.

He just hoped Akira didn't blame him for his son's death.

Seto pulled away from the curb, heading out of Domino. He'd get a hotel room in one of the surrounding cities and regroup. Yet again. If he'd known this was going to take the better part of a year, he probably would have tried bombing the whole group a lot earlier, instead of trying to appease the madman by doing things his way.

He pulled off the highway into the little town of Tsugaru. It was in the same prefecture as Domino, but Seto knew the population was only around 40,000. Hopefully Shin and the other one wouldn't expect him to take refuge in such a tiny place. As he drove around, he saw only one hotel right off the highway, and though it was only three floors, it looked relatively well-kept and clean. Good enough, he supposed.

He pulled into the parking lot and stopped the car in a space. There were eight or nine other cars in the spaces before the rooms, so the hotel wasn't completely empty. Yami leaned forward from the backseat, looking into the office window, where a man sat at the desk reading a newspaper. Seto glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, but Yami said nothing. Sentoryou was silent as well; he probably knew there was no choice.

Seto got out and headed into the office. Though he definitely did not want to share a room with Yami and his new lover, it would be smarter to keep an eye on Sentoryou. He thought he was innocent, but it would be stupid not to keep him around until this was over. So he got a double and came back out. Yami and Sentoryou were talking, but stopped when he got in. Or, rather, it seemed Yami stopped the conversation himself. Seto ignored him, moving the car over to the proper space beneath the third floor room.

The three of them got out and went up the stairs to the third floor. Neither Yami nor Sentoryou made any comment about having to stay at a hotel. They probably had expected it.

The room was a typical one, but extremely clean and cool. There were two king-sized beds covered with silly floral bedspreads, a table with chairs, a dresser with a TV on it, a nightstand with a telephone, and two lamps mounted into the walls. The three of them walked in, Seto shutting the door and sighing. He was real sick and tired of this. He walked over and sat down on the bed closest to the door. Sentoryou walked into the bathroom and shut the door. A few seconds later, Seto heard the water running as the older man got cleaned up. Yami wandered over to the window and peered out, then turned around and looked at Seto.

"What are we to do now?"

Seto shrugged. "Sleep. Get some breakfast in the morning. Once Mokuba calls, I'm going to decide whether to move them again or not. Based on what Daisuke had to say, I'm going to guess there is only two of them left, at most. Since we didn't stay to count who was dead."

Yami nodded. "Choukichi's men didn't come to find us. Do you think they're all dead?"

Seto stood and slowly peeled off his trenchcoat. Moving his arms like that burned where he'd been struck by the bullet and the material stuck to his shirt, which in turn was sticking to his skin. He threw the ruined coat over the back of one of the chairs, looking up as Sentoryou came back in. He walked over and sat down on the other bed, looking briefly at the blood-stained coat before turning his attention to the TV, grabbing the remote and clicking it on.

Yami took his turn in the bathroom, but when he came back out, he was holding something in his hands. Seto stared at him as he crawled up onto the bed at his back, scooting up onto his knees a few inches from him. He set his possession on the bed and Seto saw it was a tiny first-aid kit.

"We need to take care of that wound," Yami said to him. "Before it gets worse."

Seto frowned, but reached down to pull his shirt out of his pants. He hissed a little as he raised it up over his head, using torn muscles and skin, but finally the shirt was off and he sat still, bending forward a little to give Yami a good view of the wound. Yami opened the kit and pulled out a small vial of standard disinfectant and a plastic-wrapped pad. He opened the pad and doused it with disinfectant before beginning to clean the wound. Seto gritted his teeth tightly at the sharp stinging, holding still as Yami cleaned the blood from his skin and the germs from the wound.

"You're lucky," Yami said as he gently daubed. "The bullet only grazed across your back. No fragments that I can see."

Seto glanced up at Sentoryou. The silver-haired man was watching them, his expression hard. Jealousy. Amusing, but Seto decided not to rub it in his face. Yami was just cleaning his wound since he couldn't do it himself and getting into a fight, as fun as it would be, was not in his best interest at the moment.

Once Yami was finished with the antibiotic, he got a gauze pad and tape out of the kit. The kit was a small one, but the pad looked like it would be big enough. Yami ripped open the plastic wrap and held the pad up to the wound, taping it carefully in place. Finished, he closed the kit and got off the bed, returning it to the bathroom. Seto looked at Sentoryou again, who gave him a glare. Seto smiled, just having to piss him off, before he put his shirt back on. Even though it was stiff with blood, it was still a cover.

Yami came back out and walked over to sit on the other bed. To Seto's further enjoyment, Sentoryou immediately put his arm around Yami and pulled him up against him, kissing him on the mouth. Yami looked surprised and irritated, pulling back.

"Sorry," Sentoryou said, though he looked put-out. "I just missed you. I'm glad you're not hurt."

Yami's irritated expression melted and he smiled a little. "I'm glad you're not hurt."

"We should probably get some sleep," Seto interrupted.

If Sentoryou thought Yami would respond to romantic one-liners and mush, he didn't know him very well. How fun to watch him struggle. At his comment, they both glanced at him, then Yami turned to Sentoryou and nodded.

"He's right. We'll have to leave early and keep moving until we hear from Daisuke."

Sentoryou did not seem to enjoy Yami agreeing with Seto, but at least he was smart enough not to make a remark about it. He got to his feet and unhooked his belt and tie, taking off his suit jacket and hanging all three over the back of another chair. Yami reached up and took off his neckbelt and then his waistbelt, laying both on the nightstand between the beds. The Puzzle he left around his neck, which seemed to Seto to rather make removing his neckbelt for comfort futile. Seto turned around to lay down in the bed he was sitting on, pulling the covers up over himself. Sentoryou and Yami climbed into the other bed and Yami turned off the light.

Seto closed his eyes, but he didn't immediately fall asleep, instead going over in his mind the best course of action. He still believed he could trust Daisuke, a fact that really shocked him. So waiting for his call would be something he could do, once he'd decided whether or not to move Mokuba and Marianne. As for that, he wasn't sure. With so many of the group dead, would they really take the chance anymore? And there was also Yami and Sentoryou. He should probably ditch the pair, especially since he was not taking Sentoryou to England with him. Sentoryou had almost as much money as he did, so he could afford to cart Yami around as easily as Seto could.

Seto opened his eyes and glanced across the room, his night vision in place now. Yami was lying on his side facing him, with Sentoryou against his back, his arm around his waist. To his surprise, Yami was looking back at him. As soon as Yami realized he'd noticed, his eyes closed, but Seto was sure he'd been looking.

tbc…


	83. Chapter 83

Chapter Eighty-Three:

Yami jolted awake at the sound of a musical ring. He jerked up onto his elbow, his right hand going for his Puzzle before he realized what was happening. Kaiba had just sat up, grabbing his cell phone as he threw the covers off of himself and swung his legs out of bed. He stood up and walked away towards the door, grabbing the keycard off the table and answering the phone.

"Hello, Mokuba."

Kaiba opened the door and stepped outside, his voice becoming muffled. Yami glanced at the alarm clock as he lay back down, seeing that it was one-forty-six. Behind him, Sentoryou--who had been awakened just as suddenly--relaxed, muttering deprecations.

"Might have told us someone was going to call," he said thickly.

Yami agreed, but didn't say so. He'd let go of the Puzzle and now he tried to relax, but his eyes kept drifting to the door. He wondered what Kaiba was going to do now. As they hadn't killed everyone at the house, he knew Kaiba was concerned about Mokuba and his wife. He was probably preparing to fly to England to move them again. As for Yami, he knew he was going to return to Yugi and Joey to make sure they were safe. At the moment, though their link was shut, he could still feel the calm buzz of his hikari's presence. Yugi was not in danger or upset at the moment, therefore neither was Joey. But until Yami could ensure their safety, he wasn't content.

"Where are we going tomorrow?" Sentoryou asked him.

Yami rolled over to face him. He was pleased when Sentoryou scooted back a bit so he wasn't right in his face.

"I don't know. Kaiba needs to check up on his family and I have friends I must see about. We'll have to change our locations until we can be certain who survived and what their plans are. They may decide to cut their losses and run."

"I doubt that," Sentoryou muttered. "The Yakuza are not the type of people to ever forgive and forget. Not even ex-Yakuza."

"No, I didn't think so."

Sentoryou studied his face, then moved closer again, his arm tightening around Yami's waist. A faint smile touched his lips, but his expression was concerned. "I don't like the idea of not knowing if you're safe. Will you come home with me, to Kotohira?"

Yami frowned. "Shikoku Island? Domino is my home, Sentoryou."

Sentoryou sighed, rubbing Yami's back. "But you're not safe there."

"No, but if I run away, I never will be. And what about my friends?"

Sentoryou hesitated and Yami knew he didn't like the idea of bringing Yugi and Joey along as well. He wanted Yami for himself only. The animosity between he and Kaiba was palapable, though it was mostly one-sided on Sentoryou's part, since Kaiba didn't care whom Yami was with. There was still some tension between them, Yami had felt it there in the bedroom and he knew Kaiba had as well, but their lingering physical attraction was hollow and nothing more. And while Yami was sort of flattered by Sentoryou's attention, even after being rebuffed for so long, there was just nothing on his side of it. He shouldn't keep stringing Sentoryou along, but he was loath to throw him out at this time. Sentoryou had just escaped torture and death, he was very concerned about Yami, and Yami felt rather responsible for him after dragging Sentoryou into all of this.

"I can bring them along, too," Sentoryou said eventually. "There's plenty of room. I can protect you all."

Yami struggled to keep from frowning. Being protected was something he'd never enjoyed, even if Seth and the other Guardians had insisted. And now that he was no longer Pharaoh, he felt that way even more so. He did not want to be taken care of.

"Thank you, Sentoryou, but no. I can't abandon this when it's so close to being finished. They nearly killed you. They've nearly killed me. And Kaiba. They have killed dozens and they need to be stopped."

Sentoryou studied his face. "Why do you think you can do it, let alone have to?"

Yami looked back at him, not sure if he was questioning his ability or was confused as to how he had the ability. He had to tread carefully here, so that he didn't reveal too much. Sentoryou didn't need to know anything about what Yami was or his past. And certainly not what he was capable of.

"I have some fighting skills," he said carefully. "Took some lessons when I was a child."

Which was the truth, if edited. Sentoryou blinked in surprise and then suddenly smiled. The tension left Yami's body, but only momentarily as Sentoryou got even closer to him. His grin spread wider across his face.

"Now, I must admit, that is very arousing."

Yami was taken into a deep kiss before he could even protest. Sentoryou worked his mouth open and pulled him harder against him. His lower arm worked under him, holding him tightly against him while his other hand cupped his face, mouth working over his.

For a second, Yami didn't resist, even though he knew he should try discouraging Sentoryou again. However, when he heard the door of the hotel room opening, he pulled back quickly, pushing Sentoryou away from him and turning over to sit up as Kaiba came back into the room, folding his phone closed. He didn't miss the angry look on Sentoryou's face about being brushed off because of Kaiba.

"Are they okay?" Yami asked Kaiba.

The brunette looked up and nodded. He walked around to the side of his bed, setting his phone back down on the nightstand before sitting down on the edge of his mattress.

"They're fine. I'll be going to get them in the morning." His eyes flicked past Yami to Sentoryou before he turned and rolled onto his back on the bed. His look had been clear; Sentoryou was not coming with him to England.

Yami reached over and flicked off the light before laying down again. Sentoryou had moved onto his back as they were talking and he didn't change that position even after the light went off. Yami could sense his irritation, but he made no move to turn to him.

******

The three of them woke at a decent hour the next morning, despite the late hour going to bed. Yami was not that surprised to wake up in Sentoryou's arms again. He'd gotten over his annoyance and sometime in the night the other had moved him, which unsettled him in more ways than one, not least of which because he hadn't awoken. When he opened his eyes, Sentoryou was already awake, just holding him. He smiled at him, bending his head to kiss him, not seeming to notice his discomfort.

"Good morning," he said.

"Morning," Yami returned awkwardly, lifting himself out of Sentoryou's embrace and sitting up.

Kaiba was already up, putting on his coat, his back to them. Yami got out of bed, heading into the bathroom. In there, he contemplated himself in the mirror, realizing he felt uncomfortable having Kaiba and Sentoryou together. But soon this would be over and he could make his choice about Sentoryou and go back to never seeing Kaiba.

After getting cleaned up, the three of them checked out and headed outside. Kaiba turned to Yami, drawing him a few paces away from Sentoryou.

"Where do we go from here?" Yami asked.

"Do you know where Yugi and Wheeler are?"

Yami nodded. At the moment his link with Yugi was closed, but he could always open it. He was sure they were still at the hotel they'd taken refuge at. But even though Yami wanted to go to them, he knew he didn't dare, not yet. Kaiba was fairly certain there were only two of the Takanawa clan left, but that didn't mean he was right. And even one Yakuza-trained man was too dangerous to risk leading back to his friends. He would have to leave them put, and he told Kaiba as much.

Kaiba agreed. "But I don't dare leave Mokuba and Marianne in England for long. Takanawa knew their address." He lowered his voice even further, though Sentoryou was still standing several feet away, looking on with a scowl. "I need to move them to the cabin. But not while he's here."

"I can't just abandon him," Yami said. "They tried to hurt him to get to me and you."

Yami could see from Kaiba's face that he didn't have any sympathy. He didn't want to have Sentoryou around. While Yami could understand Kaiba not wanting to bring Sentoryou to England and then to the cabin, could he really be mean enough to leave the other where Shin could still get to him?

The answer to that question was, of course, yes.

"Yeah? And what are you going to do, drag him around with us?"

Yami hesitated, but before he could really decide how to answer that question, Kaiba's cell phone jangled. He pulled it out and answered. The person on the other end turned out to be Daisuke. As Kaiba started talking to him, Sentoryou came up to stand at Yami's side, looking down at him.

"Is this it?" he asked in a soft voice.

Yami nodded, watching Kaiba's expression. "Daisuke will tell us where we stand. We'll make our decision based on that information."

Kaiba had only a short conversation with Daisuke. When he hung up, he turned to them grimly.

"Looks like our plans are changed," he said. "Daisuke says that Shin and Fuyuki are meeting up at a place in Omuri."

Yami did not want to go anywhere without taking Yugi and Joey somewhere more secure than a hotel in downtown Domino, and he knew Kaiba wanted to move Marianne and Mokuba as soon as possible. However, nothing was more important than ending this once and for all, because then it wouldn't be necessary to move anyone. He could see from the grim look on Kaiba's face that he felt the same way.

His eyes flicked briefly to Sentoryou before back to Yami. "Let's go."

Yami looked up at Sentoryou, who looked back at him with an intense look before he shrugged. The three of them walked over to the car and got in, Kaiba starting the engine before taking off for Omuri. Yami and Sentoryou were sitting together in the back while Kaiba drove. Kaiba called his brother again and as they rode, Sentoryou leaned over, whispering in Yami's ear.

"What do you and Kaiba plan to do?" he asked. "This is the Yakuza."

"We've gone up against them before and we're fine."

Sentoryou studied his face for a moment. "I don't want to see you get hurt."

"I know. I appreciate your concern."

"You don't have to do this. It would be so easy just to leave. With your friends along, what really holds you there? It's just a city."

Yami frowned, though he knew Sentoryou was just worried. "No. It's not just a city. It's honor, and stopping bad men."

Sentoryou blinked, seeming taken aback. He sat back in his seat, seeming at a loss for words for a moment before he offered Yami an enticing smile. He reached out and took Yami's closest hand in both of his, stroking his knuckles lightly.

"Well, I'll help you anyway I can. And the offer I made last night still stands."

Yami forced a smile on his face, allowing Sentoryou to keep holding his hand. "I will keep it in mind, thank you."

He glanced up, and saw Kaiba's blue eyes in the mirror. Kaiba held his gaze for a moment, before he looked away. Yami wasn't sure what to make of that look. Maybe Kaiba was curious as to what offer Sentoryou had made him.

It took nearly three hours to make it to Omuri. By that time, it was a little after noon. Considering they had had no dinner and no breakfast, it was necessary to stop and get some food. Omuri was a town even tinier than Tsugaru, boasting no restaurants, only a series of outdoor snack carts in its downtown. Kaiba parked the car off the side of the road, as there didn't appear to be any real parking lots, not even at the supermarket, the town's one major modern building. The only other vehicle on the road was a horse-drawn cart driven by a tiny old man wearing a rice-farmer's hat.

"What the hell would they be doing in a place like this?" Kaiba grumbled as they climbed out of the car.

"We wouldn't look for them here," Yami commented, his eyes sweeping the area.

There didn't seem to be any indication that the Yakuza were here. The town was peaceful, the residents milling around without any hint of fear or distress. Occasionally one scruntized the newcomers and a group of five teenagers whispered amongst themselves and pointed. Yami wondered if they recognized them from the Duel Monsters tournaments of years past. That could not be a good thing, if the word of their arrival somehow got back to Shin and whomever was still with him.

Yami, Sentoryou, and Kaiba wandered into the strip mall of food vendors, getting various snacks to comprise their meals. Yami munched on the eel and egg noodles he'd chosen, still sweeping his eyes back and forth across the part of the downtown he could see. There was nothing, the town was as small as the oasis-villages had been on the outskirts of his empire.

Sentoryou was eating from a bowl of chicken and rice, and he'd paid for Yami's meal rather than Kaiba. Yet another show of being territorial. Yami was going to have to remind him that he was not something to own. And he was also going to have to think about actually carrying money so that others, even Joey, didn't always pay for him.

At a quarter after one, Kaiba's cell phone rang again. It was Daisuke, telling them that Shin and Fuyuki were arriving at the address in twenty minutes, which would give them time to get there first. Kaiba didn't even make a comment about trusting Daisuke's word; it was clear that he did. Without discussing it, they headed back to the car and out to the country where the house was. It turned out to be a rice-farming plantation, a charming little one-story set on a couple acres of land, most of which was underwater for the rice to grow. Kaiba parked the car in a stand of trees off the property as Daisuke had suggested and the three of them exited it. Yami, who had kept Katana's sword even after freeing Sentoryou and leaving the house, took it with him. Against guns it wasn't very effective, and with the Puzzle not very necessary, but he brought it along anyway.

Daisuke himself was visible standing in front of the main doorway in the house. He waved at them, indicating that the others were still not there and urging them to hurry up. The three of them walked up the furrows of dry land between the rice plains, all three of them looking around as they walked. Nothing appeared out of place. The rice farm was peaceful, with only the sounds of birds reaching their ears.

"Hey," Daisuke said casually as they made it up to the front of the house. "You made it. Shin and Fuyuki aren't here yet."

"That's all that's left?" Kaiba asked.

Daisuke pushed open the front door and led them inside, nodding. "Yep, that's all of Takanawa's men."

"So you want more than three million huh?" Kaiba glared at Daisuke. The four of them stood in a cozy living room that had few decorations. Definitely a safehouse. "Or you'll let Shin know we're here?"

Daisuke shook his head. "I want out, I told you that."

"Then why don't you just shoot Shin and Fuyuki yourself? Two against one's not that great of odds."

"No, but the families don't take betrayal very lightly. You saw what happened to Ferret with your own eyes. And I told you what happened to those of Takanawa's that switched out to Akira and Tetsuo."

"So why did you bring us here?" Sentoryou asked.

"He wants us to kill Shin and Fuyuki so that none of the Yakuza can think that he did it," Kaiba said, catching on. "You want us to fake your death?"

Daisuke smirked. "Hell, I didn't even have to spell it out. Yeah. The last three of Takanawa's family gets massacred, as far as the Yakuza cartel knows, and I can skip out."

"Where would you go?" Yami asked.

Daisuke shrugged his shoulders. "Miami's nice this time of year."

"All right," Kaiba said. "How long do we have?"

Daisuke looked at the watch on his wrist, then sucked in a breath through his teeth. "Like five minutes. Go in the back bedroom. They won't see you there."

Yami, Kaiba, and Sentoryou headed into the smaller of the two bedrooms. Kaiba closed the door to all but a crack, so that it could be opened without noise and yet conceal them. As they stood in the free space between the furniture, Kaiba reached into his coat pocket and withdrew the gun given to him by Choukichi. He hadn't used it yet, but now would be a good time to do so.

As they werre standing there, the sudden ring of a phone startled them. Yami and Kaiba both turned and looked at Sentoryou, who pulled his cell phone out of his coat and flipped it open.

"Hello?"

Kaiba was giving Sentoryou a glare. He didn't notice, his voice soft, but happy.

"Aiko! How is your leg, sis? Yeah. Yeah. That's good."

Kaiba growled and cleared his throat. "Get off the phone, you idiot."

Sentoryou glanced briefly up at them. "Sis, I've got to go. Uh, company. Uh-huh. I'll call you later. Right. 'Bye."

He turned off the phone, folded it, and slipped it into his coat pocket, giving them both a look of sheepishness. "Sorry."

Not a minute later, the front door opened and male voices sounded from the living room. Daisuke greeted Shin and Fuyuki, both of whom basically told him to get bent.

Kaiba wasted no time to hear their conversation. He immediately shoved open the door and rushed through it, pointing his gun at the two men. They both made startled noises, Fuyuki going for the gun at his side, but stopping half-way through the movement since Kaiba had his gun trained on him. Shin was caught completely off-guard, sitting on the couch with the TV's remote in his hand. Daisuke was standing mostly off to the side, out of direct line of fire without appearing to be on Kaiba's side. Yami hurried to help, moving up on Kaiba's left, the katana held in his left hand so that he could use his right to execute the Mind Crush.

"What the fuck?" Shin said, the remote falling from his fingers to thump on the carpet. "Where'd you come from, Kaiba?!"

"Let's just do it, Kaiba," Yami said. He raised his right hand, pointing his palm out at Shin since Kaiba had his gun pointed at Fuyuki's chest. "And be done with it."

The sound of another gun being cocked clacked through the tense silence. Something hard pressed against the back of Yami's skull.

"Sorry, but I can't let you do that, Shadow Flare."

tbc…


	84. Chapter 84

Chapter Eighty-Four:

Yami froze, feeling sucker-punched. Slowly he turned his head, the muzzle of the gun trailing around to his temple. Sentoryou stood at his shoulder, the gun held steadily in his hand, his eyes trained on his face. His gaze was cold and merciless.

"Drop the gun, Kaiba," Sentoryou said, pressing the gun harder against the side of Yami's head. "Now."

Yami looked at Kaiba and shook his head. He didn't care what happened to him. If Kaiba gave up now, they were all dead. Kaiba had to shoot. He'd at least succeed in killing Fuyuki, maybe Shin as well before he could draw his gun. He had to take that chance.

"Don't do it, Kaiba. Don't worry about me. Don't give them the gun!"

Kaiba stared at Sentoryou for a tense moment before his gaze flicked to Yami. He shook his head slowly and lowered the gun. Shin got off the couch and stalked forward, grabbing the gun out of Kaiba's hand, then cracked him across the jaw with the butt of it. Kaiba staggered, but didn't go down, straightening up with a murderous look on his face, blood running down the side of his chin from his torn lip. Fuyuki stood up, pulling his own gun out of his holster. He pointed the gun at Daisuke who, because of the ruse they'd been about to pull off, hadn't been prepared to defend himself, and was caught empty-handed.

"I should have known the mole was you," Fuyuki said to him.

Daisuke didn't respond, just stood still with his arms at his sides and his eyes on Fuyuki. He looked accepting of his imminent death.

"How could you do this, Sentoryou?" Yami demanded, turning his head again.

Sentoryou smiled, though it didn't touch his eyes. "I really am sorry, Yami. I tried to talk you out of it."

"What the hell is your connection to all of this?" Kaiba demanded. "You're a millionaire, so you don't need the money. Blackmail?"

"No." Sentoryou didn't elaborate. His gaze was steady on Yami. "Put the katana down, Yami."

"And if I don't?"

"Just shoot him," Shin said. "We're going to anyway."

He raised Kaiba's gun and pointed it in his face. Kaiba stared back at him without blinking, Yami could see him out of the corner of his eye, even though he didn't take his own gaze off Sentoryou. Anger was beginning to replace the surprise, though he wasn't sure what he was going to do with a gun held to his head and another to Kaiba's head.

"Drop the sword," Sentoryou said again.

"Shoot me," Yami countered.

Because he didn't think Sentoryou would. Despite the cold look in his eyes, there was still something else. Sentoryou was begging Yami to surrender, he could see it. He didn't want to shoot him. Somehow, Sentoryou was still vainly expecting the two of them to be together. How he could still believe that Yami didn't know, but he could use it to his advantage, if Sentoryou was going to hesitate.

"Shoot him," Shin snapped. "He told you to."

"I didn't suspect..." Yami broke off, then groaned softly at his own stupidity. "You never mentioned my bruises."

Sentoryou nodded grimly. "That was a mistake on my part. I thought I'd blown it then, but you didn't notice."

"You didn't notice?" Kaiba repeated. His voice was laced with disgust.

Sentoryou's smile was full of amusement. "Well, I can't say I gave you much time to think," he said.

Yami growled at the smug innuendo in his voice. He wanted to punch that smile right off his face, but for Kaiba's sake he didn't dare move. Every single encounter between the two of them had been planned. Sentoryou had shown up every single time not out of coincidence, not out of concern, but because he'd known ahead of time to be there and because he planned on owning Yami. From the very first time he'd met him, he'd been planning on conquering him and Yami had been foolish enough not to see it, too caught up in his own problems to notice what should have been obvious. He was more disgusted with himself in that moment then he had ever been before and more enraged.

"Now drop the sword, Yami," Sentoryou pressed. "You don't have to die. Takanawa didn't kill you because I didn't want him to, and they won't either."

Yami wasn't sure how Sentoryou had Takanawa at his command, but that was a mystery he didn't need answered. Sentoryou may have had him kept alive for his own purposes, but Yami wasn't about to allow them seen to fruition.

"But they will kill Kaiba," he said. "You expect me to sacrifice him for my own life. And what, live happily ever after with you?"

Yami touched his Puzzle with his fingertips, then flicked his gaze to Shin. He couldn't control him without the Rod, but that didn't mean he couldn't mess with his head. The Mind Crush would startle them into shooting them, but a more minor subterfuge could work. And cause enough of a diversion to allow them to escape.

"Sorry, Sentoryou. I'd rather die."

Not that he had any plans to. Shin was even easier to fool than Katana had been. Yami used the Puzzle to confuse his mind, and force him to think Ammit, the eater of souls, had suddenly appeared between himself and Fuyuki. Shin's head turned to the side and he released an oddly high-pitched scream. His gun came around from pointing at Kaiba to pointing at 'Ammit'. The report of the gun was muffled by the silencer equipped to it, but the bullet was just as deadly. Unfortunately, it only clipped Fuyuki across the kneecap, but that was enough. Fuyuki howled in pain, grabbing his knee and overbalancing, his own gun going off and winging Daisuke's arm. Daisuke kicked him in the neck as he hunched over his wounded leg, sending him crashing to the ground, strangling. Daisuke then turned and darted through to the kitchen.

Kaiba reacted with no cues, just hauling back and punching Shin with all his strength. The other man flew back several steps before he toppled over, hitting the edge of the couch with his upper body and sliding off to awkwardly flop on the floor. He was briefly stunned, but not out, and even as he hit the floor he was recovering.

Yami had not paused in this time. He gripped the handle of the katana and swung it around in a deadly arc, straight for Sentoryou, heedless of the gun still inches from his head. Sentoryou yelped in fear and ducked, jumping to the side at the same time, out of the path of the blade. Yami abandoned the movement half-way through, choosing instead to run for the open door of the bedroom rather than go after him. Kaiba was right on his heels and he slammed the door shut behind them, locking it. Yami crossed to the window, throwing it open. He reluctantly dropped the sword to aid in climbing through the window and out, Kaiba right behind him. Bullets punched holes through the bedroom door, but Kaiba was already out and the two of them were running across the short yard towards one of the paths of dry land between the sunken fields of rice.

A brief silence lulled then more bullets whizzed through the air toward them, sending up sprays of water from the fields. Sudden fire blazed across Yami's left calf, but though he stumbled, he didn't go down and he didn't stop. He felt only a trickle of blood run down to his sock, which meant the bullet had stuck, but though every step caused bolts of white-hot pain to slam up his leg, he forced himself to keep moving.

There was another pause in the shooting, longer this time, before the bullets began chasing them, but by that time they were at the car. Yami jumped into the passenger seat as Kaiba got into the driver's and took off with as much a screech of tires as was possible on grass. He twisted the nose around and they were racing back for the paved road that would lead out of Omuri.

Yami twisted around in his seat to watch behind them, searching for signs that they were being followed. Already the house was nothing more than a roof peeking over the hill Kaiba was going down, and he saw no cars coming for them. Kaiba kept up the lightning-fast pace out of Omuri and onto the highway, where he was forced to slow due to the heavy summertime vacation traffic.

"Do you think Daisuke made it?" Yami asked, turning back the right way and relaxing a little. He ignored his burning leg for the moment.

"I don't know," Kaiba said shortly.

"I hope he did," Yami said.

Kaiba grunted.

"Where are we going now?" Yami didn't turn to look at his face, just kept his eyes on the trunk of the car in front of them.

"I don't know," Kaiba repeated. "I need to get to Mokuba and Marianne and you'll want to get to Yugi and Wheeler."

Yami nodded. He wanted to, though he didn't have to, as long as Yugi and Joey did not go home. Sentoryou knew where they lived, as he'd been picked up by him at home for dates. And everyone knew where Kaiba lived, so going home was not an option.

"Will you drop me off where they are?"

Kaiba nodded, Yami could see it in his peripheral vision. They were still on the highway, heading for Domino. Yugi and Joey were there and Kaiba would need to get his Jet from the top of the Kaiba Corporation Tower.

"We cannot run away, though," Yami said. "Do you suppose they will?"

"I doubt it. Now that Shin's off his leash, I don't think he'll ever stop until he's dead." Kaiba was silent for a long moment. "It's Friday. We'll get our families settled and meet up again Monday. And see what we can think of then."

Yami nodded, turning his head to his passenger window to watch the scenery pass by. The rest of the drive to Domino was passed in silence. Thanks to the heavy traffic and construction in the northbound lane, by the time they had even reached the very outskirts of Domino, it was well past eight o'clock. Omuri had been four hours away from Domino and more than two hours had been added thanks to the construction. Six hours of being trapped in the car had made them both irritable, and Yami's leg was killing him, though he hadn't mentioned the bullet to Kaiba. He'd take care of it himself later.

It wasn't long after they'd crossed into the city that Yami began to sense a great deal of tension in Kaiba. He turned his attention away from the passenger window and looked at Kaiba. The brunette was driving with a tight grip on the wheel, his eyes darting from the windshield to the rearview mirror. Yami felt a sense of forboding and he turned his head, attempting to glance in the sideview mirror to see what the problem was.

"What is it?" he asked.

"There's a car following us."

"They caught up already?"

"No, I don't think it's them. That blue Toyota only got behind us when we got off the highway. I think they were there waiting for us at the end of the exit. They're just far enough back I can't see faces, but there's at least two men in the car."

"Should we try to lose--Kaiba!"

Kaiba slammed on the brakes just in time to stop from T-boning the black Ford that had just pulled astride the lanes and stopped. Kaiba's car skidded to a halt less than a foot away, trapping the driver inside but not those inside the blue Toyota that stopped at their back bumper. The back passenger door opened, revealing that there were three inside the car, and a man got out, hurrying forward to get into the backseat of their car.

"Hi, Kaiba," the man said cheerfully. But he did have a gun in his hand. "Akira was wondering if he could have a word with you. You don't mind, right?"

Kaiba glanced briefly at Yami. "Go," he said.

"No, no," the man said before Yami could even decline. "No, I think we should all go. The more the merrier."

Kaiba looked at Yami again, then took his foot off the brake as the Ford turned around and headed up the road in front of them, the Toyota following behind. Yami clenched his fists together, though he didn't move. It was such a routine.

The black Ford led them back out of Domino and all the way to Tokyo. By then, it was midnight. They arrived at the Balkai Casino, which was closed, but not locked up. The Ford and Toyota parked alongside their car in the parking lot and the five men that were their escort got out and led them inside. The Balkai was a casino based on the casinos of the west. This particular one was decorated in the manner of eternal night, with stars on the ceiling, and moons dancing along the walls. The multitude of plants were held in pots that were blue with silver stars. A fountain in the front of the main lobby consisted of a quarter moon from which an arc of stars facing the opposite way rose from the center of the moon's inside curve, getting smaller the high they went with the water sprouting from the top point of the uppermost one. The carpet was midnight blue, spangled with stars, moons, and an accenting gold border. The five men led Yami and Kaiba past all of the dark, silent games up the stairs to what would be the VIP room.

There, amidst decadent finery, were Akira and Tetsuo. Only from Kaiba's descriptions did Yami know whom was whom. Tetsuo was lounging his large frame on a couch, eating American-style chocolates. Akira sat with far more regal poise in a wingback armchair, drinking champagne and reading a book. He set both aside when the seven of them entered the room.

"Hello again, Mr. Kaiba," he said.

"Akira. Tetsuo."

Tetsuo waved cheerfully, his gaze lingering on Yami for a moment before he turned his attention back to Akira. His friend went on.

"I brought you here, because I was just curious as to how my second son is dead," Akira said with deceptive calmness.

"He was shot," Kaiba said indifferently.

Akira's eyes narrowed slightly, but he looked Kaiba up and down for a minute before picking up his champagne again and taking a sip. "Did you at least accomplish your goal?"

"Not entirely. There's still three left. Shin, Fuyuki, and Sentoryou."

"Sentoryou? Sentoryou Oka?"

"Yeah. We didn't guess it either."

Akira exchanged a glance with Tetsuo. He then turned back to Kaiba. "So, three left. Choukichi died bravely, then."

A faint frown crossed his features and Tetsuo took over. "We thought at least one made it out, since you left Domino. You've proven yourself, Kaiba. It's our turn now. We're going to keep you and yours safe with us and lure the bastards to us. Couldn't have done it without you."

"Safe with you?" Kaiba repeated.

"Yep. Got some men already on their way to bring Mokuba and Marianne out here, and Yugi and Joey. Anyone else?"

Kaiba and Yami looked at each other before Kaiba asked, "How do you know who they are and where they are?"

Akira smiled coldly. That was all the answer required. They knew.

"They'll be here tomorrow," Tetsuo said. "And we'd be happy if you decided to stay with us, Kaiba."

It wasn't a request. Kaiba's jaw tightened, but he didn't protest. Not only was it not a good idea, but it accomplished what they already wanted; to get their loved ones somewhere safe. If anyone could protect them, it was the full-fledged Yakuza. Choukichi had died because he'd rushed in without thinking. Akira would not make the same mistake his rash progeny had.

"We've got a couple of rooms all set up for you," Tetsuo said. "Rai will be happy to show you the way." He smiled. "You may be new on the scene, Kaiba, but you've done a good job."

Kaiba snorted, but Tetsuo only smiled. Rai stepped forward and with reluctance the pair of them turned away to allow themselves to be escorted to their rooms. Yami had thus far ignored his leg, though he knew that was dangerous. Once he got to his room, he'd see what he could do about it.

The rooms they were shown to were next door to each other, and proved to be roomy, luxuriant singles. Yami walked into his and shut the door, before limping over to the bed and sitting down. He bent over and pulled off his boots, then his socks, the left of which was half-red with blood. He was just taking off his pants when the door opened. Kaiba walked in without pause, holding a large white plastic box.

"You need to get that leg taken care of," he said.

Yami hadn't realized Kaiba even knew about the bullet. He watched as Kaiba set the first aid kit down on the bed. It was much bigger than the one he'd used before, more complex. Kaiba opened the lid and sorted through the contents. He paid Yami sitting in his boxers no mind.

"Turn over."

Yami looked at him in surprise. Kaiba glanced at him briefly. "If you think you can get that bullet out of your own calf, be my guest, but I'm just returning the favor. So turn over already."

Yami slowly twisted over and crawled up to lay on his belly. He felt Kaiba lift his leg and lay a protective towel under it to keep blood from soaking into the bed. Then Kaiba tossed the belt he'd taken off onto the bed beside him.

"You'll want to bite that," he said, rummaging in the box and withdrawing a small knife.

"Do you know what you're doing?"

"Any idiot can dig out a bullet and sew a wound," Kaiba said dismissively.

Yami doubled up his belt and slid it between his teeth. Kaiba sterilized the knife and a pair of tweezers in a bottle of disinfectant, then got to work. The next five minutes were torture of a kind just as bad as what Shin had done to him before. Yami bit into the belt until he was sure his teeth would tear right through the leather, his knuckles aching from the double-handful of sheets he was gripping. Kaiba cut the wound open afresh with the knife, widening it in order to dig out the bullet with the tweezers. Yami felt fresh blood run down the sides of his leg into the towel. Next came the searing burn of the disinfectant as Kaiba cleaned the wound before using a needle and stitch-thread to close it up. He cleaned up again before wrapping gauze and bandages around Yami's leg and tying it off.

Yami spat out the belt, his jaw aching so badly he could barely move it, though it was nothing compared to what had just happened. As he turned over, Kaiba held out a bottle of aspirin. It would do little to kill the pain, but it was something. Yami accepted the bottle, but didn't move from the bed at the moment, watching Kaiba as he dumped the supplies back into the box haphazardly and shut the lid.

"Thank you," he said finally.

Kaiba grunted and got to his feet. He headed for the door without saying anything further, though he glanced briefly at Yami before he went out. Yami got up and limped to the attached bath to get some water for the aspirin. Once he'd taken them, he went back out into the bedroom and climbed into bed, turning off his light. He felt drained. He needed to rest before Yugi and Joey arrived in the morning. Despite Akira and Tetsuo's 'invitation' he had no intention of staying here and they'd need to move immediately. But first, some sleep.

Drifting off, Yami noted that, despite all that he had expected, the reason he'd kept talking in the car, Kaiba had not, not once, mentioned Sentoryou's betrayal.

tbc…


	85. Chapter 85

Chapter Eighty-Five:

Yami woke sometime early in the morning, his leg throbbing viciously. He winced and rolled over to turn on the light, the movement sending brighter flashes of pain through his body. Blinking in the bright light, he sat up and studied his leg as best as he could. The bandages were still tightly wound around his calf, and he could see no bloodstains, so at least the stitches Kaiba had sewn were holding.

He climbed out of bed and limped into the bathroom, unsettled with how stiff his leg was. Being even slightly hobbled could be deadly. After turning on the light, he opened the medicine cabinet and got out the aspirin bottle. He shook out three pills rather than two and swallowed them with a double-handful of water from the tap.

A mental tapping made him smile and open his link to his hikari. //Aibou.//

/Are you ok?/

Yugi had felt his pain. Yami sent a swirl of assurance down their link. //Yes, Aibou, I'm fine.//

/So...the freaky guy that's here is supposed to be here?/

Yami had forgotten that Akira had said he'd already sent men to fetch their loved ones. Clearly one of them was there at the hotel they'd been staying at. A flash of anger ran through him. How dare Akira just decide things like this, and scare his friends? What must Yugi and Joey thought when he'd shown up?

//Yes, unfortunately. He'll be bringing you to the Balkai Casino in Tokyo. Kaiba and I are here with Akira and Tetsuo.// Yami hesitated, then filled Yugi in on what had happened with Sentoryou, skipping over his shot leg. Yugi would just worry.

/Oh, no! Yami, I'm so sorry./

Yami shrugged, walking back into the bedroom after turning out the bathroom light. He lay down in bed, turning out the light. //Never mind. I'll deal with him.//

Yugi was silent for a long moment. /Is it ever going to end?/ he asked finally.

//Yes. It will. You and Joey will arrive tomorrow. But we will not be staying here. You'll go home. It's me they want.//

/I can't stand letting you face this alone again,/ Yugi said. He sighed heavily. /I've spent too long worrying all about myself. I've always been by your side--/

//I know, Aibou. But I don't want you in this more than you already have been. How are you and Joey?//

There was hesitation on Yugi's part. /Awkward. Joey's having a hard time dealing with what I did./

//I'm know, Aibou.//

Yami lay quietly, thinking. He hadn't spoken with Yugi at all about what he'd done, infecting himself with Joey's blood. And yet, he knew from the feel of Yugi's mind, that he did not care at all. Being with Joey was all he wanted and he'd gotten it at whatever cost he felt he had to pay. And he was going to cling to him.

But the truth was, like Joey, Yugi was dying. Maybe slowly, but it was there, and unavoidable. Eventually Yami would be without a hikari.

Maybe Yami just wouldn't allow himself to think about it.

/What is going to happen tomorrow?/ Yugi asked.

//I don't know,// Yami said truthfully. //Sentoryou, Shin, and Fuyuki are the only ones left. Kaiba is here with me. We will think of something.//

/And Joey and I just go home?/

Yami recognized both the concern and slight rebellion in Yugi's voice. Realizing Joey was dying had finally done the impossible. It had slapped Yugi right in the face and jarred him, more or less, back to who he had been before the earthquake. He was not whole, and he never would be, but what mattered now was his mind was back on what he still had, and not what he had lost.

//Yes,// Yami said firmly. //And leave it to me.//

/Yami.../

Yami waited, before finally prodding Yugi. //Yes?//

/...will you be there in the morning?/

Yami nearly smiled, and then didn't. He understood what Yugi meant. //I will, Aibou.//

There was another silence. Then Yugi said goodnight.

******

The next morning, Yami woke to a painful leg and the knowledge that his friends would soon be there. He wasn't sure how he was going to get them home. He hoped that Akira was only being hospitable and not incarcerating. Either way, he was getting his friends out of harm's way once again.

Yami got up, limping into the bathroom to wash up. As he was coming back out into the bedroom, he was startled to find Kaiba sitting on the foot of his bed. He stopped and looked at him in surprise; Kaiba was holding the first aid kit in his hands again. He was minus his trenchcoat, which Yami thought was because of the blood staining its back. It was ruined.

"Don't look at me like that," Kaiba said. "I'm going to change your bandages. So sit down already."

Yami stared at Kaiba for a moment, amazed at his actions. For a moment he wanted to say that he could do it himself, but decided against it. There was no sense getting into a fight if Kaiba was going to be civil. He moved and sat down on the edge of the bed beside Kaiba. The other reached down and grabbed his ankle, roughly pulling his leg up into his lap. The movement hurt, but Yami swallowed back any noise. Kaiba used a pair of scissors from the kit to cut the bandages, then turned Yami's leg enough to study the wound. Yami could see a line of stitches, not as thick as the ones hospitals used, but still black and bristly. The flesh around the stitches looked red and swollen, but Yami knew the inflammation was minimal, if painful. He tried to ignore the sensation of Kaiba's fingers on his skin.

Kaiba painted more antiseptic on the line of stitches and then wound fresh bandages around his calf. He tied them off, then put the contents of the box back into it, closing the lid. Yami removed his leg from Kaiba's lap, staring at him for a moment. Kaiba set the box on the other side of the bed, then looked back at him.

"We need to discuss what we're going to do," he said.

Yami nodded, then got to his feet. He'd discuss plans, surely, but damned if he'd do it sitting in his underwear. He limped over to where his pants were thrown across the back of a chair and put them on, biting his tongue against the pain. It hurt, but he'd take the pain over the disturbing numbness he'd felt when things were bad earlier in the year.

Once he was back to being decent, he sat down in the chair, looking at Kaiba where he continued to sit on the edge of the bed.

"What do you think we should do?" Yami asked.

"We certainly can't trust Akira or Tetsuo. After Takanawa's gang is completely taken care of, they could turn on us just as easily. We know where their base of operations are. They won't let us walk away with that information."

Yami frowned and sighed, rubbing his hand across his face. "Are you saying you want to take all of them out, too?"

"No. I'm sick of all of this. I'm going to tell them we'll handle it ourselves and won't need their help."

"And they'll just accept that?"

"The Yakuza have their own rules, the same as everyone else. They're businessmen, if businessmen who don't bother with obeying the laws of the common man. I'll just have to talk to them as businessmen."

Yami frowned, staring at Kaiba, and wondering if he was crazy. Did he really expect to just talk to Akira and Tetsuo and get them to leave them alone, with business tactics? These were ruthless killers. What rules would matter to them?

"And if you survive without being shot a hundred times and having your head cut off?"

Kaiba gave him a look. "Then, we'll put my plan into motion."

Yami narrowed his eyes. If Kaiba wasn't forthcoming with the details, it was sure to be something Yami wouldn't like. On the other hand, he didn't have any plans of his own. Kaiba was the thinker, and if he had something in mind already, Yami probably wouldn't protest.

"Fine. And our families?"

"I can put Yugi and Wheeler with Mokuba and Marianne at the cabin." Kaiba got to his feet. "I'm going to talk with Akira and Tetsuo."

Yami stood as well, though with difficulty. "I'll come with you."

For a moment it looked like Kaiba would disagree, but then he shrugged and crossed the room, stepping out the door. Yami followed, struggling to keep up. Kaiba's legs were not only longer, one of his own was holding him back. Definitely not a good thing for squaring off with murderers.

At the end of the hallway, they met a pair of men, each armed. Kaiba brushed past them, which pissed them off. One spun around, grabbing Kaiba's shoulder and digging a gun into his kidney while the other held his gun level with Yami's nose.

"Where do you think you're going?" the one holding Kaiba's shoulder growled.

"Does Tetsuo always keep his guests at gunpoint?" Kaiba retorted. "Step aside, fool. I'm going to see him."

Kaiba shoved the goon's hand off his shoulder. Yami stepped around the guy holding the gun in his face. Together the two of them headed down the stairs, not looking back. And no bullet found them.

"One of these days, we'll get killed for that," Yami said.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kaiba smirk. They turned the landing and headed down the other flight of stairs. On the fifth from the bottom, Yami must have put his left leg down wrong, for a bolt of pain slammed up it. He gasped, his leg buckling before he could stop it.

Kaiba's arm around his waist stopped him from falling down the stairs. He pulled Yami up straight, then surprised him by lifting him right up into the air, walking down the last couple of steps and then setting him on his feet. He let go and continued on without looking at him, while Yami followed after a second. The pair of them made it to the same room they'd been taken to before, finding four of Tetsuo's men posted out there, one on either side of the door to the VIP room and one each at each end of the hallway. Together the two of them walked up to the doorway; the two men watching their every move. Kaiba stopped right in front of them.

"I need to speak to Tetsuo."

"I hear you, Kaiba!" Tetsuo roared from inside the room. "Let him in, boys!"

The goon on the right jerked his head. Kaiba walked in the door, Yami on his heels. Unlike before, Akira was not in the room with Tetsuo. Yami suspected he was probably at home, back in Domino. Tetsuo was sitting on the same couch as he'd been the night before, eating from a tray of candies. Across the room was a boy of about fourteen, reading from a book of calculus, balancing a notebook and pen on his lap. Tetsuo waved his hand at him.

"My son."

"Great," Kaiba grunted without looking at him. "Tetsuo, I need to talk to you."

"What about?" Tetsuo shoved a few candies into his mouth and smiled. "Room not big enough?"

"I'm wondering exactly what you and Akira are going to expect once all this is over."

"What do you mean by that?" Tetsuo's voice and face became slightly harder.

"I told you before, I'm not looking to get rid of one nut to gain one more. And I'm not going to be in your debt, not for anything."

Tetsuo frowned at him. "I don't think I like your tone, Kaiba."

"I don't care. I'm not going to be in your debt. I'm not going to be your step-and-fetch like Takanawa tried to get me to be. And, what, once this is done, you're going to kill us all to keep your secrets?"

Tetsuo studied him for a moment. Yami stayed silent, waiting. If Tetsuo made a move to hurt him, he didn't know what was going to happen, because though he could easily overwhelm Tetsuo and maybe the two guards outside the door, but that wouldn't help in the long run. Akira would come after them, along with all the rest of the Yakuza.

"You've got some real balls to talk to me like that, kid. I'm not Takanawa. I'm a real Yakuza member. And don't let my friendly face fool you. I could think of a dozen different ways to make you beg for death."

"I'm sure you could," Kaiba said calmly. "I've seen it. But if you think that makes me afraid of you, you're wrong. All I care about is my family, Kaiba Corp, and my dignity, and I won't let you take away any of those three. I'm sure you're fearsome, I'm sure there's been dozens of tougher people than me you've killed, and I'm sure you've earned every reason to be called Yakuza. But none of that matters to me."

Tetsuo's eyes narrowed further. Yami flicked his gaze to Kaiba, wondering what he was doing. He'd said he was going to talk with him, but he was just pissing him off. Was this supposed to help, or was Kaiba letting his mouth run away with him?

"What is it you want, Kaiba?" Tetsuo demanded.

"I want to take care of this my way. I don't want any of your help. And when it's over, I want me, and my family--" He hesitated a second, then jerked his head in Yami's direction. "--and him and his, to be left alone. You know we won't ever say anything at all about you or your operations to anyone, if only because of all the laws we've broken doing what we've done to kill Takanawa."

Tetsuo ate some more candy. "You know, I think I can see your logic. A good businessman sees a good deal when it's offered. A great businessman makes sure no offer is necessary. I think you can understand that, Kaiba."

Kaiba was silent, waiting. Yami waited with him, tense. It didn't sound to him like Kaiba had convinced Tetsuo of anything.

A man suddenly came into the room. He bowed to Tetsuo. "Boss, they're here."

Tetsuo looked at him, then nodded. He looked at Kaiba and smiled. "I'll talk to Akira." His gaze moved to Yami. "Why don't you go and rescue your family from my men?"

Kaiba glared, then turned away. Yami did as well, hurrying out of the door ahead of Kaiba. Never mind what Tetsuo wanted or was thinking, Joey and Yugi were here. He needed to get to them and get them out of here and back home. Though he might take Kaiba up on his offer to move them to the cabin on the island. Keeping everyone where no one but they knew the location of would be the most secure.

Yugi and Joey were standing waiting in the main game room. Yugi ran to meet Yami as soon as he saw him, hugging him fiercely around the waist while Joey came up to stand beside them. Yami hugged his hikari back.

"I'm okay, Aibou. Were the two of you treated well?"

"Yeah." Yugi stepped back, looking at him closely. Yami knew he was still upset about being asked to stay behind after finally realizing what he had to live for, but Yami would not be swayed. "We're fine."

"Yeah, pal," Joey agreed, squeezing Yami's shoulder. "But I don't think we're going to go home easily."

Yami shrugged. "You will. This is just me."

"And Kaiba," Joey said.

Yami frowned at the look in Joey's eyes, but didn't comment on it. He wasn't sure what he that look was for, but he had an idea and he didn't like it. Instead, he asked them if they were hungry and receiving a negative answer, showed them up to his room so that they could all talk. Kaiba's brother and sister-in-law were not there yet, England being much farther away than Domino. Kaiba chose not to sit with them and went off on his own, though Yami wasn't sure how much he could wander around, here in the secured nest of a Yakuza mafia member.

Yugi and Joey sat down on the bed while Yami sat in the chair and filled them both in with details about what had happened since the last time they'd seen each other, though still skipping over his shot leg. Given the darkness of the material of his pants, they wouldn't be able to see the bloodstain marring it. As Kaiba seemed to have gotten rid of his coat, they hadn't noticed his injury either. There was yet another reason to wear black.

"Yug's right, Yami," Joey said when he was finished. "We can't let you go alone, not again. How lucky do you think you are?"

A lesser man might have taken that as an insult to his capabilities, but Yami just smiled at the concern in his friend's voice. He shook his head.

"I'd rather you were home."

Yugi and Joey looked at each other and sighed. He knew they had given up protesting if only because they knew he had ways of making sure they wouldn't be able to follow him if he didn't want them to.

"We'll wait until Kaiba's family gets here, then we'll go home."

/You're going after them tonight, aren't you?/

//I doubt it, Aibou. But as soon as possible.//

Mokuba and Marianne arrived at the casino around two. At around the same time, Tetsuo asked for Kaiba and Yami. Reluctantly they left their loved ones down in the main casino area with the posted guards, and went back up to the VIP room. Though Yami had not noticed his entourages' arrival, Akira was there in the room with him. The pair of them were talking as they walked in, but looked up and went silent when they saw them.

"Hello again, Mr. Kaiba," Akira said grandly. His eyes flicked to Yami. "And...Kaiba's friend."

He and Tetsuo looked at each other again before turning their attention back to Yami.

"Odd," Tetsuo said flippantly, taking a sip of sake. "After all this time, I never did hear your name. In fact, we don't know anything about you. You're not Yugi Moto, he's downstairs."

Yami merely looked at them. They stared back at him, then Tetsuo chuckled and picked up a brownie from a plate beside the couch he was lying on. The man surely needed them in order to keep up his fabulous figure. Yami did his best to keep his lip from curling.

"Kaiba, Kaiba, we've got to hand it to you," Tetsuo said. "You're just like us when we were your age."

Yami was amazed. Kaiba's smart mouth had paid off this time. Then again, it was probably like standing down a predator. You made yourself as big and scary as possible, because anything less would be inviting yourself to be killed. Kaiba's lack of respect had had the effect of earning theirs.

"What my colleague is trying to say," Akira said, "is that while I don't quite approve of letting you get away with talking to us the way you have been, Tetsuo likes you. So, we're not going to kill you. Get out of here. But you'd better get this over with soon. If Shin, Fuyuki, and Sentoryou Oka are not dead before long, we'll take care of it. And then we'll take care of you. The best security is assured silence. After all, that's just good business."

******

An hour later, they were out of the casino, the six of them crammed into Kaiba's car. Kaiba was going to take Mokuba and Marianne to Kaiba Corp. to get one of the company's helicopters and personally fly his brother and sister-in-law out to the island. Yugi and Joey had both steadfastly refused to go to the same place. Yami suspected their reasoning was the hope that they could somehow still help him out, but even though he wouldn't allow them to do that, he didn't argue with them.

Kaiba dropped the three of them off at their apartment. Though Sentoryou knew where it was, Yami doubted he and his goons were there. Either he wouldn't expect Yami, Yugi, and Joey to return there, or he'd be afraid of how many people would be accompanying them home. He would expect Akira and Tetsuo to be with them, no doubt. Lucky for them, since it was just three of them.

Inside the apartment, which showed no signs of intrusion, Yugi made dinner for Yami, who hadn't had anything to eat for some time. There had been food for them at the casino, but Yami hadn't eaten any of it. Nor had anyone else. The Yakuza might have promised them their lives, but none of them trusted not to be poisoned. In truth, Yami saw no real alternative but to cut their losses and start their lives over somewhere else, out of Yakuza territory. However, he knew that Kaiba would never relinquish his company and his life and while he stayed, Yami would also. If only because his pride demanded he see this through. Sleights had been dealt that he couldn't forgive.

Given that the island was a couple hours from Domino and that Kaiba would likely stay with his family for a while, Yami didn't expect them to do anything until late, if at all that night. After eating his dinner, the three of them simply watched some TV and went to bed. There was nothing they could do but act like normal for the time being.

In the end, two days passed like normal. Kaiba had returned to Domino the morning after taking brother and sister-in-law to the cabin, taking up residence in his house, which had seen better days after Shin and his gang had gotten through with it. Yami had gone each day and Kaiba had spent hours searching for any signs of Shin, Fuyuki, and Sentoryou, using his computer, making calls to his security to comb Domino for them, even being so bold as to call Sentoryou's personal business the Monday after they'd returned home. He was told that Sentoryou had abruptly taken two weeks' vacation and there was no contact information.

"So they've given up?" Yami asked when Kaiba hung up.

"No. More like they're trying to come up with a plan of their own." Kaiba steepled his fingers and frowned. "We're missing something here, I can feel it."

Yami blinked, but couldn't think of what it was. Three goons left, Daisuke unaccounted for, but still on their side. What else was there?

With Sentoryou, Fuyuki, and Shin off the map, there was nothing to do but go home and wait. So Yami did. Walking into the apartment, he found Joey in the kitchen, eating from a carton of ice cream rather despondently. He was digging his spoon through the treat and turning it around as it brought it to his mouth so that the ice cream was against his tongue entering his mouth, his eyes steadily on the wall across the kitchen. Yami stopped, alarmed.

"So it's official," Joey said before he could ask, not looking at him.

"What is?" Yami could feel Yugi's presence. He was at his session with Dr. Miller, where he was supposed to be.

"I slept with Yug'," Joey said bluntly, and without any emotion. "Could have gotten lucky with the blood, but not now."

Yami hesitated, not sure what to say. He understood what Joey was saying. He walked over and sat down across from him.

"Maybe, but probably not," he said. "You can't let that what-if be in your head, Joey. You love Yugi. And...he did what he did. There's no changing that. Joey, you have HIV. But you're not dead yet."

Joey's eyes moved from the wall over his head to his face. He abruptly stood up, but went over to the counter to open the drawer and withdraw a second spoon. Coming back to the table, he stuck it in the ice cream, then pushed the carton across to Yami. He didn't want any, but Yami took some anyway. Joey was silent before a faint smile tugged at his lips.

"Yug' does seem almost like before, doesn't he?"

"Yes. He has you to live for."

Joey's smile disappeared. But he said, "Yeah. He does."

Yami studied Joey's face and nodded. The blond took another scoop of ice cream and ate it. Yami got up and put his spoon in the sink without eating any more. The time would come when the HIV could not be ignored, but that was not now.

The next day, Yami headed into Fine Art World. Annie immediately asked him to go and get a pedestal for her that had arrived that afternoon and was still waiting in the stock room where it had been delivered. She was making a new display. Yami headed into the back room to grab the pedestal. Only three patrons were in the store at the moment and Yami paid them no mind as he went into the stock room. He was squatting to lift the marble pedestal from its base when the door suddenly clicked shut. Straightening quickly, he watched Sentoryou step into the light of fixture in the ceiling.

"How long have you been waiting here for me?" he asked.

Sentoryou smiled, though it was not a smile Yami could read. "Not long. I knew you'd be here."

Yami had told him his work schedule the week before, when they were still dating. He folded his arms over his chest and waited. Let Sentoryou make the first move, while he decided his best options. Mind Crushing him would be easy and satisfying, but not practical. It wouldn't do for one of the patrons to see Sentoryou's body lying on the stock room floor and call the cops to report him a murderer.

"Thank you for being so kind as to still come to work, away from your friends. Even though they won't stand in our way, if it comes to that."

"Leave them out of this, Sentoryou."

"I fully intend to, although I can't say the same of the others. Shin's rather unhappy with you and Kaiba at the moment and he might not be as charitable as I am."

Taking the chance of being wanted by the cops might be the best course after all. "Where are your goons then?"

"That would be telling."

Sentoryou clearly didn't fear him. For all that Yami had done in his presence, he still didn't know about Yami's powers and did know that he carried no gun. He suddenly stepped forward, grabbing Yami around the waist and pulling him up against him. Yami had started to unfold his arms at the movement, which only served to have them pinned at his sides. The Puzzle digging into both of their guts went ignored.

"Yami, I don't want to hurt you," Sentoryou said feverently.

"You're a fool if you think you and I will ever be together now, Sentoryou."

Sentoryou growled, then squeezed him. "I told you I always get what I want."

"Then it's about time you grow up and learn disappointment."

"You know Shin and Fuyuki are here," Sentoryou said as if he hadn't heard him. "I'm sure that Kaiba would be disappointed to know we all got here without his noticing. I'm sure he has his payroll out looking for us. But you can relax, at least for a while. We're not going to do anything at all until Friday."

It was already Tuesday night, four days since they'd left Tetsuo's. "Why so long?" Yami asked suspiciously.

Sentoryou smiled coldly. "You should never rush a good plan. And you might as well tell Kaiba not to bother searching for where we've holed up. Domino is a big place and he's not the only one with the resources of money. If he goes sticking his nose around, he's liable to get it shot off."

"And if you do not give up right now, it is you who will die, Sentoryou."

Sentoryou stared at him for several tense seconds before he finally let go of him. Before he could stop him, he cupped his face and pressed a kiss to his lips. Even as Yami was flinching back, Sentoryou stepped away and without another word, he left the store room. Yami, seething, wanted to go after him, but he knew he could be walking into a trap. Instead, he contacted Yugi through their mind link.

//Where are you?//

/At home. We just got back from the library about twenty minutes ago. Why, what's wrong?/

Yami didn't expect Sentoryou to go there and capture them. He didn't know why, but his instincts told him he wouldn't. It was a gamble, but one he took. So he lied.

//Annie has decided to close the store early due to slow business.// Yami glanced at his watch. It was half past eight. //Have you eaten dinner?//

/Yeah, we did. But there's some leftovers. Want me to heat them up for you?/

//Yes, that would be fine, thank you. I'll be home in a short while.//

Yami shut the link, grabbed the pedestal, and left the store room. Annie, true to form, hadn't realized anything was out of the ordinary, nor that it had taken Yami nearly ten minutes to fetch the pedestal. When he asked to go home, she let him, never someone to hold a grudge about being let down. Yami considered going over to Kaiba's mansion but instead went around behind the counter and picked up the phone. He'd make a call then go home. Though he didn't know why, Yami was sure Sentoryou was telling the truth about having until Friday. Whatever they were planning, he wouldn't deter from it. Not if he wanted to get them all at once.

Kaiba was not so convinced. "So you just believe him?" he demanded when Yami told him of the encounter.

"Yes. Shin might be a fool, but Sentoryou isn't. He knows that Akira and Tetsuo are after them and he won't be stupid enough to mishandle this now."

Kaiba grunted. "At least we know they're here in Domino."

"Didn't you have a plan, Kaiba?"

"Yeah...but not for tonight."

They hung up and Yami headed home. Instead of walking, he took a cab, and arrived to find it had not been overtaken by Sentoryou or his men, just like he'd thought. Entering the living room, he frowned to see Joey sitting on the couch reading from a book he'd obviously gotten from the library earlier. It wasn't so much that Joey was reading, but the look on his face. He looked very upset, and a glass of wine was sitting on the coffee table in front of him. He looked up when Yami paused in the living room.

"Welcome home," he said tonelessly.

Yami went around the armchair to him, but Joey picked up the glass and book, nudged his arm with the knuckles of the hand holding the glass, and went into his room. Yami looked after him, then headed into the kitchen. Yugi was sitting at the table. Across from him sat a plate of heated stir-fry and a bowl of white rice with a glass of green tea and a bottle of soy sauce.

//Aibou?//

/Welcome home, Yami./

//What is the matter?//

Yugi looked over his shoulder at him. /Joey has been very distant, since...since we... I don't know... Maybe this isn't.../

Yami sighed softly and walked over, winding his arms around Yugi where he was sitting and resting his chin on his shoulder. //Don't think that, Yugi. Give it time.//

/Yeah... Your dinner's getting cold./ Yugi stood up, forcing Yami to let go of him. He turned around, putting his hand on Yami's shoulder then kissing him on the forehead. /Good night, Yami./

//Good night, Aibou.//

Yami ate the dinner quickly and then did the dishes. By that time it was almost ten. He headed down the hall, seeing that the lights of Yugi's room were off, but a faint glow was on in Joey's. He knocked gently but didn't get an answer, so he opened the door a bit. Joey was sprawled across his bed, snoring, the empty wineglass sitting on his side table with the book he'd been reading. Yami went in, picking up the glass and reaching to turn off the light. He glanced down and saw that the book was about AIDS. Joey had dog-eared a page to keep his place. Slowly Yami reached out and opened the book.

The page was a full-page photo of a man in the late stages of AIDS, and the ravages the disease had done to him.

******

On Wednesday afternoon, Kaiba called him to tell him to come over. Yami arrived to find him overseeing a man fixing the bullet holes in the wall in one of the many hallways, drinking from a glass of tea. Kaiba took Yami into his office to talk, setting his teacup on the desk.

"What is your plan, Kaiba?" Yami asked.

"Sentoryou still has feelings for you."

Yami narrowed his eyes. "I'm aware of that. It's not going to make any difference in the long run."

"No, but we can use it."

"How?"

"Even lovestruck he's not going to be stupid enough to fall for you abruptly having a change of heart, but you could still be useful as bait."

Yami glared at him from the couch he was sitting on. Kaiba was leaning against his desk and he held up his hand to cut off the protest.

"I know, I know, your pride. Deal with it. He went to the Fine Art World looking for you. So he'll come looking for you again. Give it a few days, and then call his cell phone. Tell him you've been thinking about Yugi and Wheeler and want to strike a bargain for his promise they'll be left alone."

"How will that help? Even if he does fall for it and comes to find me, what about Shin and Fuyuki?"

"He'll want to come running to you, but he's not stupid, like you said. He'll bring Shin and Fuyuki hoping you have me waiting in the wings to kill him."

"And?"

Kaiba smiled evilly. "And we'll do this quick and ruthless. Akira is not the only person I can get explosives from. Sentoryou and his group will show up where you tell them to, go inside, and while they're there, I'll hook an explosive to the alternator. Kaboom."

Yami frowned, then nodded. "And if they arrive separately? Or don't get in the car?"

"If they arrive separately, I'll wire all their cars. If they don't get in the car, I'll bazooka the place. Whatever way, they're going up."

Yami stared at him in surprise. He knew what a bazooka was from Yugi's mind. "Blow up the building?"

"I did it for Takanawa. We'll just pick a place where no one else will get hurt. Kaiba Corp. owns a restaurant on eighth. Any explosive might do the surrounding buildings some damage, but it'll be minimal and no one will be in that section of Domino after nine. You'll tell him to meet you there at nine-thirty."

Yami managed to ignore being ordered. "And if Sentoryou does show up alone?"

"Then I'll think of something else for the other two," Kaiba said with impatience. "Don't you think I've thought all of these possibilities myself? At least we'll take care of the only one with brains and power."

Yami scowled and stood up. "Fine," he snarled.

His leg twinged. Six days had given it enough time to heal that he'd taken off the bandages and taken out the stitches. He'd done it himself, which had not been a fun experience, but he had had enough with hospitals. Despite healing enough to be nothing more than a scar, the wound had been deep and wide, made moreso by Kaiba's digging and it still smarted, deep down in the muscle. It may now be a permanent pain. Not going to a hospital might have allowed improper healing, but there was nothing to be done about that now.

Kaiba walked with him to the front door. Yami turned to him.

"Tomorrow?"

"It's Wednesday now. He said Friday. I'd wait until then, that morning. It'll be more believable the longer you wait. Like you're anxious. So call him Friday. And make sure you're convincing. Though he's so caught up in you he'll probably notice nothing else."

Yami growled. "You might try asking sometime, Kaiba. For a new experience."

Kaiba smirked, leaning forward towards him. "Asking is for people not in charge."

Yami stared at him and Kaiba stared back, a taunting smirk on his face. That smirk faded the longer the two of them looked at each other. Kaiba abruptly stepped closer, moving Yami back against the wall beside the front door. Kaiba's breath fanned his face, hot and scented with the mint tea he'd been drinking upstairs. He leaned closer, leaving Yami trapped up against the wall. Yami slowly tipped his face up, his eyes dropping from Kaiba's eyes to his mouth.

A bolt of pain ripped through his head, like a spike being driven into his skull. He screamed, startling Kaiba so badly he nearly tripped backpedaling. Yami barely noticed, reaching up to clutch his head. Pain so white-hot he was nearly sick stole his breath and blinded his vision.

His link to Yugi had just been severed.

tbc…


	86. Chapter 86

Chapter Eighty-Six:

Seto could not believe he was going to do this again. He had Yami backed up against the wall beside the front door of his mansion, steadily leaning closer to him. He was going to kiss him, he knew it, and there was nothing he could do to stop himself. The tension had been building between them again. He knew Yami felt it as strongly as he did.

He was only a few inches from him when Yami suddenly shrieked. Startled, Seto staggered backwards, nearly tripping. Yami was clutching his head as if he'd just been hit with the world's worst migraine.

"What's wrong?" Seto asked.

Yami straightened up, turning at the same time to grasp the doorknob. He glanced at Seto as he pulled open the door before running through it. Seto tried to grab his arm and missed. He walked into the doorway, calling Yami's name, watching as he darted across the lawn, plowing right through the flowers. He didn't respond to his name or slow down.

Seto hesitated, unsure of what to do, wondering if he should follow or not. Ultimately he knew he had to. He'd seen the expression on Yami's face right before he'd gone through the door.

Total, abject terror.

There was only one reason Yami would ever look like that. Yugi.

Seto turned and headed upstairs, grabbing his wallet and the new trenchcoat he'd gotten to replace the old one. He hesitated for a minute, then opened the drawer next to his bed and tucked the gun into his belt. He then went back downstairs, telling the workers to finish up and head home. After heading back down to the entrance hall and locking the front door, he went into the garage and selected one of the few cars that had survived this insanity. A glance at the dashboard clock told him it had been about ten minutes since Yami had run out the door. If he had been running at full speed the whole time, he'd beat Seto there, even with a car.

Every red light seemed to being working against him, though Seto knew there was a pattern he was simply going against. By the time he reached Yami's neighborhood, the other had had nearly half an hour to make a twelve-minute run.

When he arrived at the apartment complex, it was to the flashing lights of emergency vehicles. Two police cars, an ambulance, and some sort of other vehicle that had a blue strobe and no logo that he could see. A very bad feeling stole over him and he pulled into parking lot of the apartment complex across the street and slowly approached. There was a crowd already gathered and he pushed his way through, scanning the area. A police officer was taking down the statement of an older woman in nightdress and housecoat. A paramedic was coming out of the apartment, carrying some equipment.

It took a minute, but Seto found Yami. He was sitting on the front porch, in the very corner, his legs drawn up to his chest, his arms wrapped around them, his eyes looking down at the ground.

Before Seto could even cross the parking lot to him, more people came out of the apartment. A squat man, going bald and with too much beer gut, came out and headed down the front stairs. He had a bag in his hand and glasses on top of his head, a stethoscope around his neck, and a clipboard under his other arm.

Behind him came four more people. Carrying between them two stretchers on which were sheet-covered bodies.

Seto stopped and stared for a minute, watching the four paramedics moving the stretchers to the waiting ambulance. One sheet-covered form was much smaller than the other.

The medical examiner, the bald man with the bag, walked up to the car with the blue strobe light. He opened the back hatch and began loading the bag and clipboard. Seto turned and walked over to him. He looked up and smiled in recognition of him, though he looked confused.

"Mr. Kaiba. What can I do for you?"

Seto looked down at him. "What's going on here?"

The medical examiner glanced at him uncertainly. It was against his ethics to tell Seto anything about a crime scene, but he knew Seto's influence, knew who the dead were, and knew that Seto, Yugi, and Joey knew each other through Duel Monsters. He hesitated, then nodded.

"Yugi Moto and Joey Wheeler were found dead in the living room by..." He glanced at his notes. "Yami Moto. Though we were called six minutes ago by a neighbor who heard two gunshots."

"Two," Seto repeated.

"Yes. The police moved Mr. Moto outside while I took a look. There was nothing we could do for them. It looks like a homicide-suicide."

Seto blinked. "What?"

"Mmhmm. Based on the position of the bodies and the gun, I don't know who pulled the trigger. Once I get them back to the morgue, a gunpowder-residue test will determine it." He tucked the clipboard back in next to the bag, then looked up. "Sorry, Mr. Kaiba."

"Shit." Seto lifted his eyes, his gaze going to Yami sitting on the porch. The ambulance had gone, lights and sirens off, and Yami was still looking at the ground in front of his feet.

The medical examiner shut the hatch to his car. Seto came to a decision and reached into his coat, finding his checkbook.

"I'll give you a thousand dollars to write it up as a double-murder."

The examiner looked up at him, eyes wide. He hesitated, then turned his head to where Seto had been looking, to where Yami was sitting. He turned back around, his expression knowing of Seto's intent. He hesitated another second.

"That's against the law."

Seto just stared at him. The examiner shifted on his feet, then nodded. He pulled out the clipboard again and handed it over along with a pen. It would look like Seto was signing off on a form, while he wrote out the check. He gave the clipboard back, with the check riding on top, and put the book back in his coat. The police officer taking statements was too busy to notice what was going on, the rest of the officers were still in the apartment, and the crowd outside were starting to disperse, now that the dead had been hauled away.

Seto headed up the walkway and sat down next to Yami, who didn't respond. Seto sat in silence beside him for several minutes before finally speaking.

"I'm sorry, Yami."

Yami didn't move. Seto went on, telling him his lie.

"I was just talking to the coroner. He tells me it was a double-murder."

Yami's gaze moved across the ground. Seto watched his profile, the lost look on his face that was disappearing. Slowly Yami looked up at him. Seto saw the pain in the scarlet eyes and he knew he was doing the right thing.

"There was nothing you could have done for them. The coroner said it was very quick. They didn't suffer, Yami."

Yami's expression was changing. As Seto watched, the lost and hurt look was being replaced by a look of anger. His eyes widened and Seto could feel as well as see him starting to shake. He frowned; he'd thought he was helping him by easing his concern of his friends' pain, and by shielding him from the knowledge one of them was a suicidal killer. Why was he looking like that?

Sometimes intelligence didn't always mean Seto was quick on the uptake. Yami suddenly surged to his feet.

"He killed them?!"

Seto knew who Yami was talking about, but it was too late to stop him. Yami turned and darted into the night. Seto jumped up and tried to follow, but whether of magick or merely simple ability, Yami rapidly disappeared into the darkness. Seto lost him in the shadows around a closed-down store. Where was he going? He couldn't possibly know where Sentoryou was.

Seto returned to the apartment to get his car. He spent a couple hours searching the streets for Yami, but he didn't find him. Finally he was forced to return home. There was no way to find Yami, especially when he didn't want to be found. Even without the use of the Ring, he seemed to disappear like a ghost.

******

The next morning, Seto woke up early, before the sun had even risen. He got a quick shower and then went to the phone, dialing Yami's apartment number. There was no answer, as he had expected there to be none. Even if Yami had returned, the police would not have allowed him to stay the night. It was a crime scene now and it would remain one for quite some time. Though where Yami would have gone, Seto didn't know. Surely even he hadn't been searching the entire night for Sentoryou.

Seto had not been intending to have Yami blame Sentoryou for the deaths of Yugi and Joey, but he would hardly shed tears over the situation. After all, they were trying to kill him anyway. But even if Yami did find him, he was outnumbered three to one. Seto had to find him before he got himself hurt.

He headed out to his car and drove around. He wasn't at Fine Art World nor any of the local hotels. Finally, on a whim, Seto headed back to the apartment complex. He found the yellow police tape torn up and got out of the car, walking into the building. It looked as if Yami had come back, got some personal belongings, and left again. The Millennium Items were missing from the chest Yami kept them in, and the suitcase he'd used before was also gone.

The front room featured two wide, dark stains in the middle near the couch. Seto only glanced at them before heading back out. If Yami had come back to salvage some of his things before the police got around to taking them into evidence, where had he gone? He couldn't haul those things around with him.

Seto turned the car around and headed home. Yami was sitting in the living room, his suitcase at his feet, simultaneously being looked after and kept under surveillance by Seto's head maid. A plate holding a breakfast danish and some fruit sat untouched on the table, though Yami was drinking from the cup of tea. He didn't look up when Seto entered. The head maid gave Seto a questioning glance and he nodded, sending her on her way.

Seto walked over and stood on the other side of the coffee table, looking down at Yami. Finally he broke the silence.

"Did you find him?"

Yami shook his head, holding the cup of tea in his hand and looking at the floor near Seto's feet. "I gave up around two."

So he had been running around most of the night. Seto had lost track of him at half past eight. Nearly six hours of combing Domino in the middle of the night, he'd been lucky not to be found out by Sentoryou and his goons. Though, considering the look on Yami's face before he'd disappeared, it was probably more lucky for Sentoryou and the goons than Yami. Where he'd been between then and now, Seto wasn't sure, but he'd guess Yami had returned to the apartment and stayed there with his thoughts.

Seto glanced down at the suitcase next to Yami's feet. Yami had come to him for shelter and Seto could see he was dirty and disheveled from his scour of Domino. He waved his hand.

"Go on up and get a shower, then. You can take a nap in one of the guest rooms."

Yami got to his feet. "I'm not going to sleep."

Seto didn't argue with him. He had the butler take the suitcase upstairs to one of the guest rooms and Yami followed to use the shower. When he was gone, Seto went to the phone and called Mokuba. They were still fine, safe at the island.

A half-hour later, Yami came downstairs, showered and dressed in fresh clothes. By then it was nearly ten. Seto was in his office, watching the news and checking Kaiba Corp's stocks. The news program was just finishing a segment about the deaths of Yugi and Joey, and the coroner had been true to the money he'd been given, listing the preliminary case as a double-homicide.

As soon as Yami walked in the door, Seto hastened to click the TV off. If Yami realized what had been on the screen, he didn't show it. Instead he merely walked up to the other side of the desk and just stood there, watching Seto. Finishing his reports through Yami's watchful silence, Seto finally got to his feet.

"What? If you think we can go searching for Sentoryou in all of Domino, you're out of your mind. It didn't work last time with all my security force, what makes you think it'll work this time?"

"I have to find him," Yami said dully.

Fate sometimes liked to play strange games. The butler came into the room, bowing. "A Mr. Oka is here to see you, sir."

Seto looked at Yami, shocked. Yami looked just as surprised, before he turned and ran out the door. Seto hurried to keep up, wondering how Yami could move so fast when he was so little. He beat Seto to the entrance hall by a good dozen yards and greeted Sentoryou by socking him. He nearly had to jump to do it, but he landed a solid right-hook that sent the older man back against the door.

"Yami, stop!" Sentoryou yelled, trying to fend him off. Yami was punching him as fast as he could, seeming to have forgotten his Puzzle. Sentoryou caught the chain, yanked Yami forward, then got his foot against his belly and kicked him back. Yami hit the marble with an unpleasant smack but was up again in a flash. "Stop!"

"Why are you here?" Seto demanded. He grabbed Yami around his waist as he ran forward again, lifting him up off the ground. Yami kicked and tried to pry his arms off, lost in his rage. Seto wanted to let Yami go at it, but if Sentoryou was here, something was up.

"I didn't kill them, Yami!" Sentoryou said, on his feet. His lip was bleeding, a bruise already forming on his cheekbone, and his clothing and hair askew. Yami had gotten in some good hits, not least of which because Sentoryou had not struck back.

"You said you wouldn't!" Yami roared. He was as hard to hold onto as a cat. Seto nearly lost his grip on him. "You should have come after me, you coward!"

"I didn't kill them! You have to believe me!"

Yami's heel struck Seto's thigh and his elbow got his solar plexus. Seto doubled up, losing his hold as the air left his lungs. Yami was across the room in a heartbeat, but Sentoryou ran away from him. Yami was ignoring his Puzzle, but Seto was now certain that had more to do with wanting to cause some pain before killing than anything.

The entrance hall was full of onlookers now. Seto's maids, butler, and security force had all come to see what the commotion was. Seto waved the guards back, though only for the moment.

Yami was chasing Sentoryou around the cramped space. It would have been funny if the intent hadn't been murder. Sentoryou's reluctance to fight Yami off spoke of his continued affection, or perhaps nothing more than lust.

"Yami, please!" Sentoryou suddenly pivoted and lunged. He knocked Yami flat, then straddled his legs, grabbing his fists and trying to hold onto them. He didn't pay Seto or the rest any mind. "I didn't kill your friends!"

"Then you let your men do it," Yami snarled. He pulled one of his fists from Sentoryou's hands and added another bruise.

"If one of them did it, I had no knowledge!" Sentoryou caught Yami's hand again. "You have to believe me. I gave you my word!"

"The word of the enemy means nothing more than air!"

Yami's Puzzle glowed. The Eye blazed on his forehead, making everyone but Seto cry out in surprise. Seto didn't know if Yami needed to point his palm when he did his Mind Crush, but Sentoryou made it easy for him by letting go and getting off him quickly. Yami sat up and raised his hand.

Seto stepped forward and caught Yami's wrist. As before, he wanted to let Yami have his way, but reason overcame emotion in every case. Yami turned his enraged red eyes on him and he did look like a demon, but Seto held firm.

"Not yet. He can take us to Shin and Fuyuki. We'll get them all at once. Think for a minute."

Yami growled, so Seto waved his hand to have his security force put Sentoryou in hand-cuffs. The old man was starting to look like he regretted coming here, but his eyes remained on Yami. Incredibly, he was clearly still begging with his gaze for Yami to believe he hadn't killed Yugi and Joey. As if he still thought that Yami might one day be his again. The fool was delusional as well as stupid.

Once Sentoryou was cuffed, Yami seemed to calm down a little bit. He got to his feet and Seto let go of his wrist. Seto stepped up to Sentoryou, who had his arms held by two of his security guards. Sentoryou glared at him, finally moving his stare from Yami. Seto smirked at him, folding his arms.

"So, you going to tell us easily or not?"

"Why should I tell you anything when I'm just going to die?"

They had over a dozen witnesses to the fight and the threats, but none of them paid any mind. Seto allowed his smirk to widen. "Ah, but it's all how you die, isn't it?"

Sentoryou's brave glare flickered. Seto was sure he was realizing just how much they were capable of. He'd thought they were kids. Sentoryou flicked his eyes to Yami, then back to Seto. His shoulders slumped and he looked at the floor. "438 Oak is where we've been staying."

Seto frowned slightly. Oak Boulevard was in an upscale neighborhood of Domino whose tenants called it The Woods, thanks to all of the similar street names. Oak Boulevard I-bared onto Elm Avenue and Pine Drive. Seto was sure there were any number of stupid tree names. Nevertheless it was a very well-off, gated community. If Sentoryou had rented property there, then only he'd be able to get them in with the verbal access code to the gate.

"Let's go," Yami demanded.

Seto nodded to his security force, who began pulling Sentoryou over to the front door. Seto proceeded them, pausing just long enough to grab the gun from the front side table before he opened the door. Just down the steps was the white limo, like he'd expected. The driver was standing outside it, leaning against the front door, waiting for his employer. He started to hurry back inside it when he saw Seto coming, but the gun stopped him and he stood still, looking terrified as Seto's security force loaded Sentoryou into the backseat. As soon as he was inside the back compartment, one of the guards moved up to the front passenger seat to keep the driver under watch while Seto got in the back with Yami, the other guard, and Sentoryou. The rest of Seto's employees he had stay at home, with specific instructions to keep their mouths shut.

The drive out to The Woods lasted thirty-eight minutes. In all that time, Sentoryou stared at Yami as if by staring at him long enough, he could make him fall in love with him after all. Yami stared back as if considering what sort of personal hell to throw Sentoryou in with his Mind Crush.

Sentoryou leaned forward, though his hands were still cuffed behind his back.

"I didn't hurt your friends, Yami," he said earnestly.

Yami merely stared at him coldly. Sentoryou only looked away when the limo pulled up to the gate to the community. Seto's guard leaned over and unlocked Sentoryou's handcuffs. Seto kept his gun on him, giving him no room to pull anything. Sentoryou leaned out the window and pressed the admit button, giving the access code. The sophiscated machine confirmed his voice key and the gate opened, swinging inward on its electrical hinges. The driver drove the limo inside and they headed for 438 Oak Boulevard.

The house proved to be an expensive, three story house done in American Colonial. The limo driver pulled up into the driveway and turned off the car. Seto glanced at Yami, who had his hand on the lever to open the door.

"Hey," he said, catching Yami's attention. "Use your head. ...and be careful."

Yami looked at him a minute, then twisted the lever and popped open the door. Seto saw Sentoryou staring at the two of them and he waved him forward with the gun. Then as an afterthought, he pulled the magazine out of the gun and held it over. Sentoryou stared at him.

"Pretend like you're in charge," Seto said, putting the magazine inside his coat.

Sentoryou scowled, but snatched the useless gun out of his hand. Seto looked at his guard and nodded his head toward Yami. The guard nodded and moved out right after Yami, grabbing his shoulder and putting his gun against his head. Seto slid out, Sentoryou behind him. The old man put the empty gun to Seto's head, his hand on his shoulder, just like the guard was doing to Yami.

"Stay back, so they don't see your face as clearly," Seto said to the guard.

The man nodded. Though he was taller than Yami, it was by no more than a couple of inches, and Yami's spiky hair did well to cover his face. Seto left his other guard with the driver and the four of them walked up to the house. The front door was opened by Fuyuki, who was holding his own gun up at the ready.

"Got them," Sentoryou said behind Seto.

"Why didn't you call?" Fuyuki asked, his gun lowering just a little bit.

"Bastard broke my phone." Sentoryou hit Seto on the head with the barrel of the gun. It was a much softer hit than he could have done, which was probably only because Seto's guard was close enough to shoot him if he made a wrong move. "Back up."

Fuyuki scooted backward into the house and Sentoryou pushed Seto forward, Yami and the guard at his back. The house had a grand entrance hall only a little smaller than the one at Seto's mansion. Fuyuki stepped to the side, though he didn't turn his back on them. He waved his hand at the guard standing behind Yami.

"Who's that?"

"Defector," Sentoryou said. "Apparently Kaiba's quite a dick to work under."

Seto held his tongue against a reply as Fuyuki laughed. He waved his hand again, this time turning away and walking over to a doorway that had to lead to the parlor.

"Shin'll be glad to get a chance to practice his skills," he said.

Fuyuki entered the room ahead of them. Seto reached back and grabbed the empty gun out of Sentoryou's hand, putting the magazine in it. The guard moved his gun from Yami's head, holding it in both hands as they walked into the parlor. He didn't know why they were doing what they were doing, but he'd do his share. Two guns and Yami's Puzzle against two guns wasn't exactly fair, but Seto and Yami had worked at whittling worse odds against them down to their favor.

Seto stepped through the doorway a few paces behind Fuyuki, raising his gun.

Five guns greeted him. Inside the room were Shin, Daisuke, Buck, three women, and Takanawa's kid. Shin, Daisuke, and one of the women were holding guns, while Fuyuki turned around smoothly and raised his gun to point at Seto's face. He hadn't been fooled for a second. Why Daisuke was there, Seto wasn't sure. If he was playing them, it hadn't made sense for him to allow Max, Andrew, Katana, Akihito, and Kiyoto to all be killed. Not when the only return was the deaths of Choukichi, Seto, and Yami.

"Mr. Kaiba?" the guard said fearfully, his own gun pointed at Daisuke, who had his pointed right back.

Sentoryou chuckled, moving to lift a gun that had been waiting for him beside the armed woman, raising it and pointing it at Kaiba. Shin was covering Yami, who had stopped beside Seto, looking around the room with narrowed eyes. Fuyuki stepped forward cautiously and took the gun from Seto, who had no choice but to give it up. Daisuke took the guard's. No one took Yami's Puzzle. Sentoryou told Fuyuki to go get the guard in the limo and the man left. Somehow Sentoryou had signaled to them he was in trouble and they'd been ready.

"Really, Mr. Kaiba," one of the unarmed women said. "Did you think it would be that easy?"

Seto recognized her from the photographs in Takanawa's room. She was his widow, a stunningly beautiful twenty-something with eyes as hard as rocks. The little brat sat in her lap, holding the real mechanical dog in his hands.

"I don't know," Seto said. "In the end, Hiroshi was very easy."

The woman shot to her feet, only her maternal instincts stopping her from dumping the kid on the floor. She set him on the couch and stalked forward. She was as tiny as Yami, and like him had the aura of power and danger that made her seem bigger when she was angry. Her hand slapped across Seto's face. Seto turned his head back and smiled.

"How dare you say his name?" the woman growled. She had enough control to keep her voice low rather than screaming. It was clear she had taken over the family business as head and that she was just as capable at it as Takanawa had been.

"See, Sentoryou?" Seto said, not taking his eyes off the woman. "That's love, right there. I bet she wouldn't have betrayed him."

Sentoryou glowered at him over the woman's shoulder. Seto still didn't know what his connection was with everyone. Buck, who had either been sprung from jail or let out through the pressure of money and pain, was his nephew, but hardly a reason to risk all. And he was plenty rich enough not to need the money.

"You came over for the sole reason of bringing us here," Yami said.

"No, I didn't. But it worked out that way. Good thing you're so full of yourself, Kaiba. You thought you had it all figured out, all the numbers in a nice little row in your head."

"What happened to your face?" the other unarmed woman asked from across the room where she was sitting behind Daisuke.

"Yami kicked his ass," Seto said. He saw Yami smile out of the corner of his eye, though it was brief.

"That runt?" Shin demanded. "You let that runt get you? You could punt him like a football."

Fuyuki returned. Alone. "Got him."

He'd killed the guard, then. Gutsy, doing it in the driveway in the middle of the morning, though most likely the neighbors were at work. "Kai's wrapping him up."

Seto supposed that meant wrapping the body in a tarp or something. They were all going to be killed and buried somewhere.

"Good," Takanawa's widow said. She turned around and went back to sitting beside her child. Reika, Seto remembered her name was. And Rikiya, the brat who didn't seem the least bit scared at what was going on. "Kill them."

Shin chuckled, walking toward Yami for a better shot, raising his gun. Sentoryou hurried forward, throwing his arm out to stop him. "Wait. Reika, you said Yami goes home."

Yami looked at Sentoryou incredulously. So did Shin. Reika looked up, her expression cold.

"You're a fool, brother. He'll come back and keep coming back until he's dead."

Well that explained the connection then. "Reika is your sister?" Seto asked.

"What can I say?" Sentoryou said. "It's a family business."

He hadn't taken his eyes from his sister. Seto saw how it went now. Sentoryou had siblings, more than just the widow. Though Reika was far too young to be Buck's mother--she was even several years his junior--Seto bet the woman sitting behind Daisuke was old enough. She looked about a year younger than Sentoryou. She'd have had Buck young, but the family resemblance was there. It really was a family business. Reika had been married to Takanawa. Sentoryou and Buck were both related to Takanawa through marriage. Even the woman holding the gun on Seto had similar looks. Maybe Sentoryou's cash didn't just come from his parents.

"Don't be stupid, Sen," Buck's mother said.

Sentoryou shook his head, stepping backwards away from Shin and the rest toward Yami and Seto. "You made a promise, Reika. That was the deal of helping you get Kaiba."

"Hiroshi is dead!" Reika jumped to her feet again. The kid was still playing with the dog. He didn't seem to care that his mother was shouting about his father's death. "And he is just as to blame as Kaiba. Shin, shoot him!"

Shin raised his gun again. The silencer on the barrel suppressed both the bang and the muzzle-flash. They'd be killed without the neighbors hearing.

Sentoryou hit Yami with his shoulder, knocking him sprawling. The bullet struck him in the chest with a meaty thud, sending a fine spray of blood into the air. He hit the floor on his back, blood beginning to rapidly spread across his expensive shirt. There was a shocked silence, Shin lowering his gun.

"Sen!" the woman holding the gun screamed. She jumped to her feet, but Fuyuki held her back. If she'd gone forward, she'd have come into Seto's reach.

Yami sat up, looking at Sentoryou with wide eyes. The older man coughed, his gun lying on the floor a few inches from his shoulder, on Yami's side. Daisuke moved forward quickly and snatched it up. Yami paid him no mind. His eyes were on Sentoryou. The blood circle flowed across Sentoryou's shirt, going from the size of a half dollar to a dinner plate in seconds. Sentoryou turned his face, which was ashen, to Yami. He managed a smile.

"I didn't kill your friends, Yami," he said weakly.

Yami moved forward and lifted Sentoryou up a little, his hand pressing against the wound. It was a useless gesture. The whole front of Sentoryou's shirt was red now. Sentoryou reached up, his hand shaking as his life drained away, and grasped Yami's hand, pulling it away from the wound. He held it in his.

"I didn't kill them. I'd never hurt you."

Yami stared into Sentoryou's eyes. Sentroyou shuddered, his breath rattling. He went limp, his head falling back, his eyes now staring without seeing anything.

"No," the woman Fuyuki was holding back wailed. She put her free hand over her face, her gun hanging loosely from her other hand. She started to cry.

Reika sat on the couch, looking down at her dead brother. There was no sorrow in her eyes. Seto could see she'd written Sentoryou off for going against her. She pulled her son into her lap.

"Kill them."

"Kaiba!"

Daisuke tossed Sentoryou's gun towards him, without looking, at the same time putting a bullet in Shin's head. The man staggered back, his head snapping back with the force of the shot, falling half-way onto the couch Reika and Rikiya were on. The kid, splattered with the dead man's blood, finally reacted, shrieking like a banshee.

Seto caught Sentoryou's gun. A bullet grazed his other arm, tearing a furrow to match the one in his back. He hissed in pain, raising his gun and firing back at Fuyuki. He missed, and Fuyuki fired again, also missing. Seto dropped behind an armchair, the guard running out the open parlor door, and Daisuke squirming behind a loveseat and the wall. Reika had picked up her kid was crouched with him behind another armchair. Fuyuki and the armed woman were both squeezed behind the arm of the couch she'd been sitting on before Sentoryou was shot. Buck's mother was barely concealed at the side of a display cabinet bearing figurines and Buck himself was behind the door of the doorway the guard had run through.

Yami was still kneeling in the middle of the room with Sentoryou's dead body.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Seto hissed. "Move!"

"Ha," Buck said from behind the door. Seto saw him lean out a little and point his gun at Yami's back. "Idiot."

Seto fired, hitting the door rather than Buck, but succeeding in sending the man scuttling back behind cover.

"You are an idiot!" Seto snarled at Yami. "Will you fucking move?"

He'd fired twice. Sentoryou's gun had four more bullets, maybe five if it was a special magazine. His gun was a simple standard handgun. Seto would bet at least one of the mob goons had a semi-automatic somewhere. He bet all of them had more than one gun. The odds were well out of their favor now.

Yami finally moved. He stood up straight. Sentoryou's hand slid out of his and fell against his chest. Yami's right hand was covered with blood, both of them loose at his side. As Seto watched they curled into fists.

Fuyuki's arm popped out from behind the arm of the couch. The woman's came over the top of it. Daisuke shot twice from his vantage point behind the love seat. He missed Fuyuki and shot the woman in the hand. Blood sprayed over the wingback and the arm of the couch as her thumb ceased to exist. She screamed and screamed, pulling her arm back. Fuyuki cursed a blue streak. His arm appeared again and fired randomly, punching holes into love seat, wasting the entire magazine into it. From the lack of a cry from Daisuke, he'd missed.

Buck appeared from behind his door again, aiming at Yami. Seto raised his gun, but he'd instinctively turned his attention to Fuyuki when he'd started firing at Daisuke and he wouldn't be fast enough to foil him a second time. Movement out of the corner of his eye drew his gaze, as well as Buck's, who could see through the gap between the door and the frame. The limo driver, Kai, had come to see what was going on. In his hands was a gun. Buck grinned, turning his attention back to Yami while Kai pointed his gun at Seto.

Yami's Eye blazed on his forehead. The Puzzle glowed. Buck fell out from behind the door, screaming and clutching at his face with both hands, digging the trigger guard and grip of his own gun into his cheek without realizing it. Buck's mother appeared from behind the cabinet. Kai turned toward the noise and Seto fired. He hit Kai in the stomach and the man fell over backward.

Yami turned around and raised his right hand. He Mind Crushed Buck into oblivion. A second later Fuyuki came crawling out from behind the couch, howling, his eyes squeezed shut as he saw whatever horror Yami had unleashed on him in his mind. Yami Crushed him, too. His eyes moved to Kai's legs sticking out from the hallway. The man's screams changed in pitch before ceasing as Yami walked forward and finished the job Seto had started.

"What's he doing, what's he doing?" Buck's mother shrieked. She ran forward, heedless of everything but her son lying dead or whatever on the carpet.

The woman Daisuke had shot suddenly jumped up, holding her gun in her other hand, her bleeding one clutched against her chest. She fired at Yami. The bullet whizzed past his head. He didn't even flinch.

Daisuke stood and shot her in the chest. Seto hadn't expected him to, but he did, sending her reeling back against the wall and sliding out of sight behind the couch, a trail of red leading down the wall. Unlike Seto, Daisuke had no qualms at all. He was, after all, a mobster, and a woman was just another target when she had a gun in her hand.

Yami turned toward Daisuke, who yelped for good reason. Yami had a grip on his mind.

"Stop!" Seto jumped up from behind the armchair and grabbed Yami's arm. "He's on our side."

Yami had forgotten himself in his rage. He looked up at Seto, the Eye disappearing as he got a hold of himself. Daisuke relaxed, shaking, his hand over his eyes. He lowered his hand and stared at Yami like he was seeing a monster. Yami ignored him, looking around. Seto did, too.

Sentoryou, Shin, Fuyuki, Buck, Kai, and the unnamed woman lay scattered around the room, all dead. Reika and Rikiya were still behind their cover. Seto could hear the boy crying. He was glad; a good dose of fear was what that brat needed.

"After all of this, now it's over?" Seto asked. "That quick?"

Yami walked over and knelt down beside Sentoryou, reaching out and shutting the man's eyes. Seto heard him muttering what he thought was an Egyptian prayer. Daisuke came out from behind the loveseat. He walked over to where Reika and Rikiya were crouched. He lifted his gun.

"Hey," Seto said.

Daisuke looked up. "It's not over, not yet."

Yami got to his feet. Seto put his hand against his back and pushed him toward the door. As they walked down the hall, two muffled gunshots followed them.

tbc…


	87. Chapter 87

Chapter Eighty-Seven:

Seto walked with Yami outside the mansion on Oak Boulevard into the bright sunshine of a spectacular day. It was noon according to Seto's wristwatch, and the bright blue sky had only a few puffy white clouds that did nothing to hinder the hot June sun. Yami walked to the end of the long front stoop, then stopped and stood still, looking up vaguely toward the sky. Seto looked at him a moment, before looking around. No one had come to see what the commotion had been. Most likely there was no one around to come.

What they needed was transportation out. Seto couldn't take Sentoryou's limo. That could link him here in a dangerous way. The guard was gone, though Seto knew he was hightailing it home rather than going to the police. He was still on Seto's payroll and also knew what trouble he could get into for having been here where so many people died.

Daisuke suddenly came out of the house. Yami did not move, but Seto turned towards him, just not quite ready to trust him after all the betrayal going on. However, the ugly man did not have his gun in his hand and wasn't even really paying attention to him. He came out onto the front stoop with the other two, holding a necklace in his hand. The pendant hanging from the fine chain was a silver heart with green vines and pink flowers. Seto was sure the pendant had been Reika's. Daisuke must have taken it from her corpse as a souvenir or trophy of his triumph over the last of the Takanawa family.

"They're dead?" Seto asked unnecessarily. Despite what they had been and what they could do, he wasn't sure if he could condone killing women and children for any reason. Even he knew business should never be that cold-hearted.

Daisuke looked up. His eyes held no remorse. "Yep. All of them."

Seto had not heard a third gunshot, but he was sure he was implying that Buck's mother had met her end as well. Daisuke would be the type to finish everyone, and leave no loose ends.

Daisuke tossed the heart up, caught it in his hand again, then threw it. Seto watched its progress as it flew in a silver arc to land, with shocking accuracy, down the storm drain. Daisuke smirked, then gestured towards the detached garage behind the house.

"Sorry about your man. Guess he's back there."

Seto nodded. "He'll have to stay there when the cops come."

Seto couldn't afford any sort of connection with this slaughter. He was taking enough chances as it was being out front like this. His guard would be found with the rest, and taken to the city morgue. Seto knew the man had no family other than a senile old mother in a nursing home, so no one would miss him. He would be identified and buried. If the authorities wondered about his connection to suspected mobsters, they would have no proof other than his location. And Kaiba Corp. would be able to withstand that scrunity, as long as it never got any deeper than that.

Daisuke waved his hand toward the garage again. "Got a nice Cadillac back there. You come with me out to the airport and you can have the car."

Seto was quite certain he could find other transportation than taking Daisuke to the airport. But well remembering the man's suggestion that three million was no longer enough for him, and wanting to be done with this once and for all, he nodded. Yami made no protest. As Daisuke went around back to get the car, he stood in the sun, now with his eyes closed. Seto watched him without bothering him, though he wondered what he was thinking. Now that it was all over, where would he go?

Seto pushed the thought aside. He supposed if Yami wanted to stay on in the guest room for a little while he'd let him. It wasn't as if there weren't many empty rooms. If he was going to move on...well, Seto had no right to stop him.

Daisuke backed out of the curve of the driveway that led to the garage, bypassing the white limo and out onto the street. Seto walked over to the car, Yami following along with him with no comment. The pair of them got into the backseat, but Daisuke did not immediately drive off. Instead, he got out of the car and walked over to the limo. He reached into his pocket as he went, opening the back door with his other hand. He leaned inside for a minute, then straightened up and walked back. As he did so, Seto saw smoke rising out of the back compartment. Daisuke headed toward the house, holding what looked like a pair of champagne bottles by the necks in one hand, the other holding an object too small for Seto to see, but which he gathered was a lighter. Daisuke disappeared into the house, then came back out a few minutes later. Smoke wisped into the front hall inside the door and through the living room window, Seto could see flames. Daisuke was destroying the evidence of Seto and Yami inside the house, of which there would only be stray hairs and fibers, perhaps a finger print or two. Nothing that would survive the flames.

Daisuke got back into the Cadillac and took off. Seto pulled his gun from its place in his coat, holding it in his hand. He'd keept it ready, until Daisuke walked away, even though his instincts were telling him to trust him and his logical mind was insisting he'd have been shot long before now if that's what Daisuke wanted.

"I do have some questions," Seto said.

"Uh-huh."

"If you really were on our side the whole time, why didn't you tell us about Sentoryou?"

"I didn't know. I knew Takanawa's wife had some siblings, but Buck's mother was the only one that came around. That other sister and Sentoryou I never saw before. They weren't part of the business, not that I knew."

Seto frowned, absorbing that. Either Daisuke had simply not known everything about Takanawa's family and operations, which was likely, or Sentoryou really had not been a Yakuza, merely related to them, which could also be a possibility. His showing up in Hong Kong and everywhere else could, at least at first, have been innocent coincidences given that Buck was his nephew and Reika and Buck's mother his sisters. Of course, his innocence had been sacrificed when he'd joined forces with Takanawa to kill Seto so that Yami would be his. In the end, he was no loss.

"If Shin and Fuyuki knew you were a traitor, why were you there in the house instead of six feet under?"

"They were going to kill me, but Reika wanted me still alive. She figured you'd trust me. Tomorrow, I was going to call you up, tell you that Fuyuki was going to be at such-and-such a place and to meet me there. You'd show up, the whole gang'd be there to cut you down, and then I'd be killed, too."

Sentoryou's plan, no doubt. It was largely the same as Seto's, and might have worked. "How did they even get to you to begin with? You ran out of that place in Omuri, same as us."

"My lady. Reika still had my cell phone number. She called, told me she was going to let Shin have his way with my girl if I didn't go along with them. I knew they could get to her before I did, so..."

Seto nodded. Family and friends could always be used against you, which was why Seto had always done his best to have no one but Mokuba as a liability. The fact that he'd allowed himself to manipulated with threats against Yami disturbed him.

The drive out to Domino Airport took a little more than an hour, and then Daisuke was pulling into the parking lot's extreme edge. Here there was only one car, an extremely fancy silver Mercedes not even a year old. Daisuke pulled the Cadillac to about two dozen yards away and stopped, turning off the engine. Seto got out with him and after a second, so did Yami. Seto came up to stand with Daisuke in front of the Cadillac's front bumper, looking over at the Mercedes. Even as he watched, the driver's door opened and out came a woman.

She was too far away for Seto to get a good look, but it was clear she was well off, the Mercedes not the only sign. She was wearing a fur coat, despite the temperature in the eighties, a coat of white fur that had what looked like fox's tails hanging from the hem. Her hair was brown, but shiny and lush, with red and gold highlights. She stopped in front of her own car's front bumper and stayed there, watching them.

"That there's my lady," Daisuke said. "Annemarie Fontescue. You heard of her?"

Seto was surprised that he had, and more surprised that she was Daisuke's 'lady.' Annemarie Fontescue was a model from France, and largely considered the most beautiful woman alive. What she was doing with a dog like Daisuke was beyond Seto. As if he'd asked the question out loud, Daisuke answered.

"It ain't my pretty face the reason she sticks with me," he said. He leered.

Seto, well able to catch the meaning in his words, grunted. "Fantastic. How much do you want?"

Daisuke studied him a moment. "Know what I'm going to do with the money?"

"I don't see why I would care."

Daisuke ignored his rudeness. "Gonna fix my face. Lady might not care, but I sure don't like her having to look at this ugly mug every morning."

Seto nodded, hoping it would expedite Daisuke's departure. "I'm sure she'll appreciate it. How much?"

Daisuke studied him another moment, then looked past him to Yami. Seto turned his head to look, because Yami had been so quiet, and he found him lying on his back on the hood, looking up at the sky. He hadn't even heard him clamber up. Turning away, he looked at Daisuke again and the other man smiled a little.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but how about we call it square?"

Seto frowned at him suspiciously. "Why?"

"I told you I want out of the game. Might as well make a shot for straight right here. I walk away with no more money, let's me know I can give this, her, a real chance. Later, Kaiba."

Daisuke turned and walked away, heading over to the Mercedes. He stopped in front of Annemarie and put his hands on her waist, saying something to her. Seto could barely see her face from this distance, but he was sure she looked their way and then smiled and nodded. The pair of them got into the Mercedes, Daisuke driving, and they left. Seto watched after the car for a moment, then turned to Yami. He was still sprawled on the hood, looking up.

Seto watched him, but he didn't react. Considering the heat of the day, the bright sunshine, Seto wondered how he wasn't frying on the metal surface. Finally he made him move.

"If I didn't want you as a door decoration, what makes you think I'll want you as a hood ornament?" he demanded.

Yami sat up slowly, looking at him. He slid off the hood gracefully, then moved around to the passenger door. He got in and Seto moved over to the driver's side, also getting in the car. The keys were still in the ignition and he started the Cadillac up, turning around and heading for the gate.

"Well, it's finally, finally over," Seto said after a while. "Now I can send Mokuba and Marianne back home."

Yami was silent. Seto looked over at him and saw he was holding his right hand up. Seto had forgotten all about Sentoryou's blood, and he saw that Yami was studying his bloody hand. The blood had caked and dried, making him look as if he had on a ragged maroon glove. Seto curled his lip, then reached out and grabbed Yami's wrist, well away from the blood, and yanked it down roughly.

"Stop looking at that, damn it," he growled. "Don't tell me you're missing him."

Yami looked up with a scowl, and yet even that expression seemed distant. Seto knew why, of course. Yugi and Joey and their deaths had severely shocked and devastated him. His quiet and detached attitude was a defense. But he'd have to face it sooner or later, just like Yugi had had to face the deaths of his family and his own guilty feelings and Joey had had to face his terminal disease and the fact that Yugi had infected himself.

Although facing things hadn't worked for one of them.

"He died for me," Yami said.

Seto grunted, having no real reply to that statement. It was true, but, what, now Yami did love the old man thanks to his sacrifice?

Looking up at his profile, Seto doubted it. He was just upset. Seto left him alone and drove home to the mansion. Yami got out of the car with him and went into the mansion, where he immediately separated from him and went upstairs. Seto ignored him and went to find his head maid, tasking her with gathering all the staff together for a meeting. His guard apparently had not returned here, which made Seto certain he'd gone home. As long as he kept his mouth shut, Seto didn't care. He'd give him a few days off, if he wanted to come back at all.

When everyone had gotten together, Seto placed on them a restriction of silence, informing them that Sentoryou had never been here. He threatened them a little, using all the cold intimidation of which he was famous for, and was reasonably certain they wouldn't say anything. If it wasn't because they were afraid of him, then it was because they didn't want to lose their jobs. Whatever else he was as a boss, he paid extremely well. Once he had gotten promises out of them, he sent them on their way again, and brought his head of security aside. He told only him of the fact that his guard was dead, glad he remembered his name at the time. Seto didn't tell him everything, as there was no need to, only that the guard was dead, Sentoryou was responsible, which he was, and then told the head of security to find a pay phone and leave an anonymous tip for the police to check out the mansion on Oaks, in case there really was no one around to call the police about the fires. The security head nodded and left and Seto knew he'd do what he was told. Loyalty was a big thing with that man, which was why Seto had him as head.

Once his head of security had left the room, Seto headed upstairs to his private rooms and got on the phone. He called Mokuba and told him it was all over, once and for all. No one had survived. His brother was not happy how it had turned out, as he'd known he wouldn't be, but he was happy that had turned out and that Seto was safe from harm and they could go home. It was time for his wife to be settled so she could have her last month of pregancy go smoothly.

"I'll leave here in a few minutes to bring the helicopter over and take you home," Seto said. He knew that pregnant women of her advanced state were not supposed to fly, but that was hardly an option to get them first to a safe place and then back home. He wasn't even sure why pregnant women weren't supposed to fly. "So have everything ready to go in a couple hours."

"Will do. Marianne will be so happy. And...just for the record, everything is over?"

"Yes. This time, I'm sure. It was...a blood bath."

There was silence on Mokuba's end. Then he made a chuckle that was hardly a laugh. "Yeah. Okay, I'll see you in a couple hours."

Seto hung up, and immediately the phone rang. Trepidation ran through him, which was hardly a usual circumstance, and so four rings went by before he snatched up the handset.

"Yes?"

"Mr. Kaiba." It was Tetsuo. "Well done, my boy."

Seto didn't know how Tetsuo and Akira already knew that Takanawa's family was killed, so soon, but he didn't question it. He didn't say anything to Tetsuo's praise at all.

"Yes, yes, knew you were going to be able to do it," Tetsuo went on. He chuckled and Seto heard him crunch into something. As per usual, he was eating. Traditional Japanese manners didn't seem to concern him. "Akira had his doubts, but not me. Sure we can't interest you in being a Yakuza? I'm sure you'd be great at it."

Diplomacy and respect could at times be the best route over intimidation and rudeness. "Thank you, Tetsuo, but no. I'd much rather make my money my own way."

Tetsuo chuckled over the phone. "I understand. After all, being a Yakuza, you wouldn't be at the top of the ladder like Akira and me, and being an underling just doesn't fit you, does it? All right, kiddo. You turned me down politely, so I know you're not stupid, either. We're real pleased you got rid of Takanawa for us. Saved us a lot of headache, except Choukichi, which was his own fault, not yours. Although, just so we're clear, you stay away from Matsumura's and the Balkai, got it?"

"I've got it."

"Good, good." Tetsuo hung up without saying goodbye.

tbc…


	88. Chapter 88

Chapter Eighty-Eight:

Seto hung up the phone, then frowned and left his master suite. While he would never be wholly confident that Akira and Tetsuo would forever leave him alone, all things considered, he wasn't going to worry about them either. Akira may hold him responsible for Choukichi's death, but if that were the case, surely he would have killed him already, as soon as Takanawa's family was dead. If they knew the Takanawas were dead, then they knew where Seto had been at all times, and could easily have killed him or captured for a slower death. He was reasonably certain that Tetsuo at least wanted him alive.

Enough of that. He had to go and get Mokuba and Marianne and take them home for good.

Seto walked down the hall, towards the suite the butler had put Yami in. He knocked briefly, then tried the knob, only to find it locked. Frowning, he knocked again, but got no response. Seto then turned away and left. Yami was going to be unreachable for a while, and he had more important things on his list right now than holding his hand. Mokuba and Marianne were expecting him.

A couple hours later, he was touching the helicopter down on the clearing in front of the familiar wooden cabin. Mokuba was standing outside, waiting for him, and smiled as he walked up. Despite their age, Mokuba hugged him as if he were still twelve years old. Seto patted him briefly on the back with one hand, then went with him into the cabin, where he was subjected to more hugs from Marianne.

"Oh, Seto, I'm so happy you're okay!" she said, discomfiting Seto by having her enormous belly shoved against his own stomach. Such was the distension of her abdomen that she could hardly reach to put her arms around him. "I was so worried."

"I'm fine, Marianne." Seto gently pushed her away from him. "Are you ready to go home?"

"Oh, yes! So very much!"

"All our stuff's ready to go," Mokuba said, pointing to a pile of suitcases.

Seto nodded. He and Mokuba picked up the luggage and loaded it into the helicopter before Mokuba helped Marianne climb up into it. The helicopter featured harnesses that crisscrossed the chest, rather than go across the lap. These harnesses would not put any pressure on Marianne's stomach, should the need arise for their use. Although, if they did go down, a little pressure on her abdomen would be the least of their troubles.

Of course they did not crash. The day was bright and sunny, Seto was a superb pilot, and the weather remained clear from the island all the way to England. By the time Seto touched down on Mokuba's property, it was nearly one in the morning. This time Seto was happy to take Marianne up on her offer and spend the night. He was surprised to find that since his last visit, she had bought several articles of clothing, all in his size. He changed into some pajamas and got into bed.

As he lay, waiting to fall asleep, his thoughts drifted to Yami again. What was he going to do about him? Was Yami to stay with him from now on? If that were the case...

Seto shoved aside that thought, like he usually did when they pertained to him. He was having way too many of them lately. And he didn't like what he thought it might mean.

******

The next day, Marianne had her kitchen staff prepare a huge feast of English style. Seto stayed for breakfast, finding that while English food was not his favorite type, it wasn't bad. Once breakfast was over, despite Marianne's wish that he stayed there with them, Seto opted to go home. He had a lot to do now that the insanity was over, and getting Kaiba Corp. back on track came first. In fact, he needed to get back on working on the Duel School. After so long of doing little other than day-to-day operations, Kaiba Corp. really needed something to bring it back on the scene.

Seto flew home and landed the helicopter on top of the garage behind the mansion, which had long ago been fortified for the vehicle, even before Seto had taken over Kaiba Corp. from Gozaburo. Entering the mansion from the backyard, he found one of his maids cleaning the conservatory. She looked up and bowed respectfully when he entered.

"Where is Yami?" he asked.

"I haven't seen Master Moto today, sir," she said. "Perhaps...he is still sleeping?"

Seto frowned and headed out of the conversatory. If Yami was still in his suite, then he really was brooding. By the time Seto had finished breakfast with his brother and sister-in-law and flown back, it was nearly three in the afternoon.

Seto headed upstairs to Yami's suite, and knocked. No answer, and the door was still locked. Seto scowled, then turned and walked away. If Yami wasn't even going to unlock the door to let him in, then it wasn't his problem. Though, he supposed if he hadn't seen him by dinner, he'd go look for him again. If only to tell him he wasn't going to put up with this sort of thing. The final outcome for Yugi and Joey had proven tragic, but Seto still believed forcing someone to face what they feared, loathed, or was sorry about the most was still the best way to go about anything.

As it was almost three, the day was more than half over, but Seto still chose to head into Kaiba Corp. At the very least, he could get started on procuring that bit of property Mokuba had told him about. It sounded like the perfect place for the Duel School. Seto only hoped that this venture would prove useful to bringing Kaiba Corp. back on the map. It was going to take a lot of money to do what he wanted, and he didn't want to waste it all on something that wouldn't be profitable. Though he wasn't making this school just to make money. He was tired of second-rate duelists and he wanted the game of Duel Monsters to be enjoyed by generations after his own.

Seto worked until eight o'clock, before heading back home for a very late dinner. Upon asking his staff, he learned that Yami had still not appeared. Irritated, Seto went upstairs to his office and got the key ring that held the master key. It opened every lock on his property, and he headed down the hall to Yami's suite. He knocked once more, just as a preliminary, then unlocked the door and opened it. The room was dark, the curtains drawn. At this time of year, the sun did not completely set until around nine-thirty, so there was just enough light to see by.

Yami was lying in bed, on his side facing away from the window. Seto walked around to see his face, and could just see that his eyes were open. He was not sleeping at all, but merely suffering. Seto growled and folded his arms over his chest.

"My staff tells me you've been languishing up here all day. I'll bet you haven't moved an inch since last night."

Yami neither moved nor spoke. Because of Seto's position, Yami's gaze was directed at him, but he wasn't seeing him. Seto growled, then bent down until he was looking him directly in the eyes.

"Get up. They're dead, Yami. I'm sorry for you, but lying in bed like a log isn't going to change the fact that they k-- that they died."

Yami made the slightest movement to his words. His gaze focused on Seto's face, but he didn't react otherwise. He didn't even get angry at Seto's cruelty. That wouldn't do. He needed to angry, in order to get over what had happened. Seto frowned at him, then straightened up.

"Whatever. I always knew you were weaker than you claimed to be. All that posturing, but you're just a little punk, aren't you?"

Yami reacted by turning over the other way, so that his back was now to Seto. Growling, Seto turned away from him.

"Fine. Stay there until you rot for all I care. Don't say I didn't try."

Seto turned and left the room. Short of picking Yami up and forcibly carrying him downstairs, there was nothing to be done. And Seto was not going to carry him.

******

Yami did not come down to dinner. The next morning, he didn't show up for breakfast. By now he had to half-starved to death, having had nothing to eat or drink since lunchtime two days ago. If he didn't move soon, he would thirst to death. Even at that moment, he had to be weak with dehydration.

Seto was sitting in his office as he thought this, looking at the clock on his desk. It was almost nine. He'd had breakfast only a half-hour ago, and even if it had been hours, his kitchen staff could make another meal in minutes. Seto picked up his phone and called for a breakfast tray to be brought to his office, along with a tall glass of water. It was delivered in twenty minutes and Seto picked it up, taking it with him to the suite at the far end of the hall.

The door was not locked. Yami hadn't even gotten up to lock the door again. Seto entered the room, which was lighter than before considering the brighter sunshine straining against the curtains, but still gloomy. There was an unpleasant mustiness to the air, which was from the fact that Yami hadn't moved in two days.

Seto set the tray on the nightstand. The room was rapidly filling with the scent of hot food and Seto was both amused and relieved when he heard Yami's stomach growl.

Yami was facing the wall again, which meant he had at least turned over at one point. When Seto went to check on him, he found that his eyes were open. Seto bent down to look him in the eye, then gestured over his still form to the tray sitting on the nightstand.

"Eat, damn it."

Without waiting to see if he would comply, Seto left the room. He'd done what he could, and more than he should have. In the long run, the rest was up to Yami.

When Seto sent his maid up to take the tray away, whether or not it had been cleaned off, he was pleased with the report that Yami had eaten and drunk everything on the tray and was in the shower when the maid entered the room. He had not locked the door, he'd gotten sustenance into his body, and he was getting cleaned up. All steps in the right direction.

At dinner, however, Yami did not show up. When Seto asked about him, he was informed Yami had left the house, though without his belongings. He had probably gone out walk around and think, which seemed to be what he did often. Seto didn't bother with waiting around to see what time he came home. He went upstairs to finish some paperwork and then went to bed.

When he woke up the next morning, on the third day since Sentoryou and the rest had been killed, he went downstairs to find that Yami had come back to the mansion, and was outside in the garden. Seto went to find him, seeing that he was sitting on the low wall of one of the flowers beds, his back to a thick display of roses. The hot sunshine gleamed off his multi-colored hair. He was twisted around on the wall, so that he could view the roses, one hand out. Seto thought he was pulling the blooms closer so he could smell their scent.

He approached and sat down on the wall in front of Yami. What he'd done all night, Seto did not ask.

"I see you're up and about," he said. He didn't expect thanks, he was just making the observation to see where Yami's head was at.

Yami did not reply. Seto frowned, then sighed.

"If you want, you can stay here as long as you like, I guess."

Yami was silent another long minute. When he spoke, he did not look at Seto, but continued to inspect the roses.

"Why can't I feel anything, Kaiba?"

Seto frowned again, then moved his gaze from Yami's blank face to his hand.

He wasn't touching the blooms.

He was cutting his fingers on the thorns.

Seto stared at him for a second, then grabbed his wrist, pulling his hand away from the flowers. Holding up Yami's hand, he saw that he'd done a number on his fingers. Blood trickled from several thorn-torn cuts, running along the lines of his palm down his wrist. Seto felt the disgusting sensation of the blood seeping warm over his own fingers.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Seto demanded.

Yami was watching the blood run along their fingers. "I don't feel it."

Seto raised his eyes to Yami's face. Then he gripped Yami's wrist more tightly, hard enough that his own knuckles turned white with the pressure. Yami didn't so much as twitch. Seto eased his grip, searching Yami's dull expression. He realized that Yami's lack of feeling had to do with his loss, that he went numb when he couldn't cope. Just like he drank when he couldn't cope. Neither was healthy.

"I never would have guessed," Seto said finally.

Yami's eyes drifted up to his face. "Guess what?"

Seto released his wrist, careful not to lay his hand against his clothes, as it was wet with Yami's blood. He noted that Yami had responded to his vague comment, which meant he wasn't totally within his own head.

"That you'd be this--" He trailed off. He'd just remembered the time Yugi's soul had been stolen away by Dartz and imprisoned in the wall of the temple. Not only had Yami first lost himself to his own dark impulses, he'd nearly lost himself to his despair. Like Yugi, when Yami blamed himself, he was helpless against his guilt. "No, I guess I'm not surprised."

Yami looked at him a second longer, then lowered his gaze. Seto stared at him, really wanting to leave. He'd never had time for people who couldn't look after themselves, so why was he still sitting here now? It was Yami's fault if he couldn't deal. They'd all suffered losses before.

Seto got to his feet and left the garden, leaving Yami sitting by the roses.

Whether he continued to cut himself with the thorns, Seto didn't look back to find out.

******

That night, Yami once again didn't show up for dinner. However, this time Seto's security informed him that he hadn't left the grounds. Now irritated, Seto went upstairs to get him. If he was going to be staying there at his mansion, he was going to be following the schedule of his household. Seto was not going to have his staff ferrying meals up to his suite like it was room service, nor was he going to have him haunting the third floor, cutting himself like a self-mutilating ghost.

Up on the third floor hallway a maid was knocking on Yami's bedroom door. Seto walked up, growling.

"What, is he not answering again?"

The maid looked up, bowing. "I don't know, Master Kaiba. I heard the water running earlier, but that was nearly two hours ago."

Seto blinked, then pushed the maid away quickly. "Move!"

Seto lined up to the door, then kicked hard. The architecture of the house was solid, and the first kick only cracked the frame. Seto kicked again, and this time the door flew open. Seto ran inside, then over to the bathroom door. It was slightly ajar and Seto pushed it open, stopping in the doorway.

Yami lay in the bathtub, leaning against the side, one arm hanging over the side, the other in the water, his head tipped back. His eyes were closed, blood dripping from his dangling fingers.

tbc…


	89. Chapter 89

Chapter Eighty-Nine:

Yami was sinking. Though he'd once had a taste of what it would be like to lose his hikari, he had never really known the depths of despair the actual loss would be. Especially knowing that his light, as well as Joey, had both been lost to the bullets of a murderer. He was denied their friendship now, their love and laughter, however seldom laughter had come in the last few months. And now he was denied the knowledge of revenge, because he didn't know who had pulled the trigger. In the last, he had believed Sentoryou when he'd said he hadn't killed them.

He didn't know why he believed him. Even taking his last breath, Sentoryou could have lied to him. His gain would be Yami believing in him, and not hating him. But even knowing this possibility, Yami was sure Sentoryou had spoken the truth. He had not killed Yugi and Joey.

But if he hadn't, then who had? If it had been Shin, or Fuyuki, or even Kai, then the murderer was dead, but Yami would have rather have known.

So he could have taken his time.

Yami supposed that knowing wouldn't help him any. It wouldn't ease any of the ache knowing that they were dead, or that he hadn't been there to protect them. He should have insisted they go to the island with Mokuba and Marianne, or at least to somewhere other than where the enemy knew they lived. Instead, he'd been foolish and delusional, believing Sentoryou when he said nothing was going to happen until Friday. Even if Sentoryou had been content with leaving Yugi and Joey alone, and with following through on his promise of waiting, why should Shin or one of the others be so content? Yami had not thought everything through like he should have, had taken no precautionary steps, and so the blame rested on him. Now, he could even better understand his hikari during the last year. Believing you were responsible for a loved one's death, even if all you did was nothing, was a pain one could hardly stand to bear.

And now that everything was said and done, with the Takanawa clan finished and Kaiba free of his tormentors, what was left? Kaiba could go back to his life now, with Kaiba Corp, his brother and new sister-in-law, and the nephew on the way.

And Yami...?

Yami spent two days wallowing in the shock of his loss. He was so numb he couldn't even move from bed. He was aware of Kaiba coming into the room, aware of his anger and disgust, but it meant little to him. Even when Kaiba tried to get him angry, he couldn't muster up the energy. Even when he knew he was killing himself with his sorrow, he didn't care.

And then Kaiba came in, delivering a tray of food and drink, and demanding he get up. He'd delivered the tray himself, and he was so fierce in his ordering...that he broke through. Yami lay for a little while longer, but he was thinking of Kaiba's words. Of the fact that he'd brought the tray up there. And finally he managed to push himself up. It was hard, harder than he'd even thought it was going to be, as he had spent a long time without moving, without having food or water. However, he managed to make it, and drank his fill from the water cup before eating from the tray. When he'd finished everything, he forced himself up and into the bathroom in order to shower.

Later in the day, feeling more invigorated, though still weak, Yami headed downstairs. Kaiba was not at the house, was probably at Kaiba Corp, and Yami took the opportunity to explore the mansion a little more. He respected Kaiba's privacy and steered clear of both his rooms and his home office. He searched the mansion and grounds, getting familiar with the territory. Though he wasn't sure, Yami suspected he might be staying here a while, if only because he had nowhere else to go. The apartment was a crime scene, and Yami wasn't sure if he wanted to live alone at the moment. When Kaiba threw him out, he'd have to consider that, but not now.

And yet, would Kaiba throw him out? He'd let him stay here and that was something of Kaiba that Yami had not expected. What could it mean?

As Yami was standing in the conservatory, looking out at the gardens in the rear of the mansion, he wondered about that. What did it mean, that Kaiba would give him houseroom? In reality, Kaiba had done a lot for him the past year, more than he'd really considered. After all, Kaiba angered him so often, it was hard to focus on the good things he did. As for what it meant, Yami had a feeling...

But surely not.

Later that day, not long before dinnertime and when Yami could probably expect Kaiba to return home, he flipped on the TV in the living room. He wasn't one for watching TV often, but even his wanderings hadn't filled out the day.

The news program was running a story of Yugi and Joey. Caught off-guard by the sudden reminder of his lost loved ones, though in reality he probably should have been prepared for it, Yami sat in silent stillness and watched as the news anchors introduced clips of Yugi's and Joey's duels, facts of their lives, and facts of their murders. It was the word autopsy that ended Yami's tenuous control. The thought of the two of them lying on cold metal tables, being cut to pieces by a indifferent coroner, went so against everything of Yami's Egyptian upbringing, that he couldn't stand it. Whether or not the current world considered his beliefs outdated, he still held fast to the idea that the dead should be properly respected and interred.

Yami fled the house and aimlessly drifted through Domino. Everything reminded him of his friends, and what he had not done to save them. Part of him, deep down, knew he was not responsible for the actions of others, but that small voice could not out-shout the much louder voices of guilt, rage, and sorrow.

The sojourn through Domino offered no escape. And its citizens would have been better off if he'd stayed home. Such was Yami's self-absorption with his feelings that he crossed into traffic several times without looking, only vaguely noticing the cars slamming on brakes or swerving to avoid hitting him. By some act of mercy or punishment from the gods, Yami was not cut down so that he could join his friends.

Yami returned to the mansion around midnight, but that was only because he had aimlessly made his way back there. He did not sleep that night, too numb to even attempt it. Come morning, he began to wonder if his numbness would ever really lift and he found himself out in the gardens. His eyes fell upon the lovely roses, kept to perfection by the gardeners, and he sat at the wall of one of their beds, looking at the bright red blooms for a long time. The thorns drew his attention and he reached out to curl his fingers around the stem. The thorns cut him, he could see the blood beginning to well, but he could not feel the sting and in his desperation to feel something, he squeezed the thorns harder, ran his sliced fingers over more and more of the stems, searching for some pain, anything at all.

Kaiba came to find him around noon. Yami knew he was disturbed when he saw him cutting his fingers, even attempted to stop him, but he did not respond. Kaiba eventually left, no doubt disgusted with Yami's behavior. In reality, Yami was beginning to feel plenty disgusted as well, and yet he still could not muster enough willpower to care.

That night he went to the suite of rooms he'd been assigned and pawed through his luggage, searching out the items he'd rescued from the apartment. Yugi's deck, the neckbelt he had not been wearing when he'd been killed. Joey's deck, his favorite green jacket. Such items that meant nothing and everything at the same time. He'd also retrieved the pill bottles of anti-retrovirals and antidepressants, and the needle with which Yugi had injected himself with heroin. Why Yugi had had it in his possession, Yami didn't know, but he'd found it tearing apart his bedroom to find things the police must not have, and he'd taken it with him for a reason he wasn't sure of, just like the medication.

He took the needle and the medication into the bathroom, and laid them on the sink, before studying himself in the mirror. He'd allowed himself to grow pale and drawn. He barely recognized himself. And he suddenly had the crazy impulse to smash the mirror to bits.

The crash of his fist into the mirror and the tinkling of the glass shards on the floor reached his ears, but he hardly noticed them.

He didn't feel the bite of the glass in his knuckles.

Yami drew himself a bath, scalding hot, and disrobed, climbing into the steaming water. His skin turned red, but he didn't feel the heat.

His eyes drifted to the antidepressants sitting on the sink. They'd seemed to help his hikari, and maybe they'd help him, too. Anything to relieve this all-consuming numbness.

Yami leaned up, grabbing the pill bottle, knocking the needle to the floor. He opened the bottle and shook out a couple of pills, popping them into his mouth and swallowing them dry. He let the bottle fall from his hand and scatter the remaining on the floor, his eyes on the needle.

Slowly he picked it up, studied it. The metal point glinted faintly in the light.

Yami turned it around and stuck the sharp point into his arm. To his surprise and dark delight, the bite of the needle shocked through his arm. He felt it. Felt the sting which Yugi felt when he'd drugged himself.

Yami withdrew the needle, then stuck it into his arm again. The sting reverberated along his nerves and he repeated the process. Little droplets of blood loomed, but he ignored them, focusing instead on the pain he felt. The sharp, silvery blooms of pain that cut through the draining, frightening numbness.

But even as he repeatedly stuck himself, he realized that the pain was already fading away. Everything in the room was fading away, and he panicked. He'd just begun to feel again. Consequently he dug the needle in deeper, and still the pain was fading out.

******

When Yami came to, he was lying in a very familiar setting. The crisp white linen sheet, the soft beeping of machinery, and the smell of intense disinfectants. He was lying in a hospital bed, a fact he confirmed when he looked towards the sound of beeping and saw the heart monitor and the intravenous fluid bag.

His head throbbed, and he tried to reach up to touch it.

Tried, because his wrist was shackled to the bed frame.

"They restrain suicidals," a deep voice growled.

Yami turned his head, seeing Kaiba sitting beside the bed. He sat with his legs crossed, arms folded over his chest, his blue eyes cold. There was anger in those depths, and something else.

"Suicidals?" Yami repeated. He looked away, towards the window, through which he could see it had started to rain. "Is that what you think?"

There was silence a moment. "Isn't that what is?" Kaiba asked finally.

Yami continued to look out the window at the falling rain. "I just wanted to feel something."

"That makes a lot of sense," Kaiba grumbled. "Sticking yourself with a needle a hundred times and starving yourself to death, no that sounds more like suicidal."

Yami closed his eyes. He pulled lightly on one of the cuffs and shook his head. Kaiba growled at him, then got to his feet; Yami heard the rustle of his clothing. Without opening his eyes, he asked, "Do you think I'm crazy?"

"I think you're letting your pain cloud your mind. Just like Yugi."

Yami smiled, his eyes still closed. Kaiba went on.

"The doctor doesn't think you were trying to commit suicide."

Yami opened his eyes and turned his head towards him. Kaiba was standing in the doorway, his back to him.

"The restraints are there, because I told them to put them there."

"Why?"

Kaiba looked at him briefly over his shoulder. "Just in case."

Yami stared at him before turning his head back towards the rain. There was silence, while Yami thought about what Kaiba had said. He must have passed out due to the length of time he'd gone without eating, taking the long hike through Domino, and then taking a super-hot bath while stabbing himself with the needle. It had all built up.

And Kaiba must have somehow found him in the bath tub and had him brought here. He'd thought he'd tried to kill himself and had had him restrained from trying it again. He didn't want Yami to die.

The air was full of the sense of words that went unspoken.

The same niggling idea struck Yami again, but he said nothing. After all, even if it were true, Kaiba would probably scoff, insult him, and walk away. That was his mode of operation. And if it weren't true, then Yami would be left with even less than he had at that moment.

"If you're not suicidal, they can't keep you here," Kaiba said. "I'll go tell them to unlock you."

"I didn't try to kill myself," Yami said.

Kaiba didn't respond and departed. An hour later, which seemed a long time to Yami, the doctor came to check his vitals, ask questions Yami didn't want to answer, and finally unlocked him after having him sign an AMA form. After he was released, Yami walked out on the doctor's attempt to talk to him about emotional disturbance.

To Yami's surprise, Kaiba was standing outside under the overhang to the hospital's main entrance, watching the deluge of rain pounding the city. He didn't make any reaction to Yami coming out the hospital, though Yami knew, stopping in midstep and watching his back, that he knew he was there. Yami stood and watched him for a long time, though he didn't turn to face him, and he wondered what he was going to do next. Smashing the mirror in the bathroom now seemed like a foolish thing to do, though he knew the numbness remained within him. He should apologize, and then he should leave. He shouldn't burden Kaiba with his broken spirit.

But something held him back from taking the first step down that road. Perhaps it was a sense of needing to right the wrong of the broken mirror. He couldn't fix it and Kaiba would find the idea of him offering to pay for it ridiculous. Maybe Yami felt he needed to repay Kaiba somehow for sheltering him the last week. Despite the fact that Yami had helped him through all that Takanawa had thrown at him, which was the path that had ultimately led to the deaths of his friends, Yami did not consider Kaiba to blame nor did he think they were even. Giving Yami room at his mansion, even with all the room to spare he had, was an act of kindness unexpected and needed to be repaid somehow.

"Kaiba."

The brunette didn't turn at the sound of his voice, but neither had he made a move to leave. Yami stepped forward closer, then sighed and turned away.

"I'll pay you back for the mirror."

As he'd expected, that got Kaiba's attention and his reaction was incredulousness. He snorted and stared at Yami with a look mixed of amusement and annoyance. Yami didn't meet his eyes, but instead stared at the water rushing like small rivers in the gutters, dirty and constant.

"And I'll get my stuff out tonight."

Yami stepped out into the downpour. The rain instantly began to drench him, but he barely noticed the cold. He turned on the sidewalk and headed down the street, towards the manor. He could have ridden with Kaiba, but right then he didn't want to. No matter what he thought Kaiba might be thinking, he couldn't work up the necessary energy to care.

"Yami!"

Startled through his murky thoughts, Yami turned around to see Kaiba striding to him through the rain. His bangs were beginning to be plastered to his face, and the water was soaking his clothes. Kaiba stalked up to him and stopped, staring at him intensely through the rain, but though he'd stopped him, he then didn't speak.

"What?"

"You can stay a bit longer, I suppose," Kaiba said after another minute. "At least until you actually find someplace to go."

Yami stared up at him. Kaiba was looking back down at him, steadily despite the awkwardness and anger that seemed to tinge his words. Some of the numbing fog seemed to lift in Yami's mind and he frowned.

"Why did you come here, to the hospital?" he asked. "You did your part already."

Kaiba's eyes narrowed slightly and his jaw hardened. "Why did you stab yourself with Yugi's fucking needle?"

"To feel."

Kaiba stared at him and his eyes burned. Yami looked away, towards a decorative bunch of flowering shrubs whose petals were being beaten off by the harsh rain.

"I'll leave by nightfall."

"No."

"Why?"

Kaiba suddenly reached out and grabbed Yami's face between his hands, jerking his gaze around to his. His grip was harsh and unrelenting. He forced Yami to look up at him.

"Because I think I love you, you damn fool."

tbc…


	90. Chapter 90

Chapter Ninety:

Yami stared up at Seto for so long after his declaration, saying nothing, that he wanted to take the words back. But there was no taking back something like that.

For a long moment Yami had no expression on his face, but as Seto watched, his brow furrowed and his eyes searched his. The rain continued to pound down on them, but neither gave it any mind. The darkness was beginning to descend as evening turned to night, but still they didn't move. Seto continued to hold Yami's face between his hands, refusing to allow him to look away, waiting for him to say something. Anything.

Seto leaned down closer, until his forehead was nearly touching Yami's, watching the emotion slowly rising in his eyes. For the first time in days, he didn't look so listless. As Seto stared, Yami's hands came up and curled around his forearms as he held his face, holding him back in a manner. The hard rain was smoothing Yami's spiky hair back, running in rivulets down the planes of his skin, and soaking Seto through to the bone.

"Kaiba..." Yami murmured, so low Seto could barely hear his own name over the rain.

Yami wasn't going to return the sentiment. Seto could see that now, see that he couldn't find the words in his head yet. But as Seto watched, Yami's eyes grew heavy-lidded, and he seemed to move a little closer. Seto stared at him another minute, then straightened up, dropping his hands. Yami looked surprised.

No doubt he'd expected a kiss. Seto didn't want to kiss him while he was in the mood he was in.

"Come on," Seto said. "Or didn't you ever learn better than to come in out of the rain?"

Yami's gaze lowered. Seto turned towards the Jaguar that he'd used to follow the ambulance when they'd taken Yami to the hospital. He walked over to it, half-expecting Yami to continue on through the rain, despite the setting sun, but instead he followed after him. Seto climbed into the driver's side, paying no attention to the water soaking into the expensive leather. Yami got into the passenger side, and Seto drove off, noticing that Yami looked out the passenger window the whole trip. What was he thinking?

At last they made it back to the mansion and Seto parked the Jaguar in the garage. Yami slid out of the passenger side and headed towards the house. Seto followed after him, trailing after him all the way up to his borrowed rooms. As he'd figured he would, Yami went straight to the bathroom.

By the time Seto had followed the ambulance to the hospital and they'd returned, someone had come in and cleaned up the glass from the broken mirror, took down the empty frame, and drained the water from the tub. As his staff would have no idea why Yami had broken the mirror, they had not thought to not put up another. A fresh mirror hung where the old one had been, gleaming in the light from the frosted-glass sconces above it. Yami stopped and stood looking at himself in the mirror for a moment before turning away from it. He didn't try to punch his reflection out again and instead turned his attention to the empty tub.

When Seto had burst into the room and found Yami unconscious in the tub, he'd gotten him out of the water and wrapped him up in the towels hanging from the rack, shouting at the maid in the hall to call an ambulance. He'd checked Yami quickly for obvious wounds, then discovering the disturbing array of needle pricks in his arm, as well as the offending needle still sticking out of said arm, hilt-deep, midway between his wrist and elbow. Seto had pulled the needle out and put it on the edge of the sink. He'd also seen the scattered pills on the floor and wondered what Yami had done to himself. He'd taken him into the bedroom and laid him on the bed, pulling the covers up over him to keep him warm while the ambulance made its way there, getting clothing out of the dresser to take to the hospital. Yami had been dressed while still unconscious.

The doctor had told Seto she didn't think Yami had tried to kill himself. She hadn't been surprised at the skeptical look he gave her and had explained that though Yami had been found lying in a filled bathtub with pills on the floor, a needle, and broken glass shards--all signs that pointed toward a suicidal depression--there had been no more than the recommended dose of the pills in his stomach, no attempt to slash his wrists, nothing in the needle, and no attempt to drown himself. Seto had explained Yami's behavior to her and she'd insisted that though Yami didn't think he could feel the pain of stabbing himself, his body still registered it and the sharp pricks combined with insufficient nutrition, exhaustion, and depression had caused his brain to lose consciousness in self-defense.

It had still sounded like suicidal actions to Seto and to appease him the doctor had ordered the restraints until Yami could wake up and explain himself. She'd also gone to find the resident psychologist for an evaluation. It had seemed like exactly the same path Yugi had taken to Seto and he'd been disturbed.

It hadn't worked out so well for Yugi.

But Yami had woken up and seemed genuinely puzzled by his bindings and the reasoning behind them. He'd insisted he hadn't tried to kill himself. Seto wasn't sure if he believed him, but he'd had him unlocked and signed out and had brought him back to the mansion anyway.

The maids had cleaned the bathroom and put in fresh towels, exactly as they were expected to do. As Yami stood looking at the tub, Seto grabbed one of the big, fluffy things from the rack. Stepping up behind Yami, he threw the towel over his head. Ignoring Yami's startled noise, Seto grabbed him up and turned around, walking into the bedroom. He wanted him out of the bathroom. He set Yami on his feet, lifting the towel from his head.

"What was that for?" Yami asked.

"You need to get dried off," Seto said. "And stop dripping water all over my house."

As Yami looked slightly shamefaced, Seto threw the towel back over his head, then began to vigorously scrub his hair. Yami made several indignant squawks and demands that Seto stop, but he ignored him. Yami reached up and grabbed his wrists, trying to pull his hands off, and Seto relented, letting the towel drop.

Yami's hair was amusingly ruffled, still damp and now twice as spiky. He was glaring at him from behind mussed bangs and Seto smirked, whirling the sodden towel around him and drapping it around his shoulders like a shawl. Yami grabbed the ends of it and looked up at him, eyes still narrowed. Seto was pleased with that look. Emotion, even anger, was good.

"There, your hair's done. Now get out of those wet clothes before you ruin more of my furniture."

Yami blinked at him, then smiled a little. He walked over towards the dresser, sliding the towel from his shoulders and draping over the back of the decorative little chair against the wall. He moved his hands down and grabbed his shirt hem, raising it up over his head. Seto found himself staring at his bare back as he lowered the shirt to join the towel and then opened a drawer to paw through the contents. Quickly he looked away and turned towards the door. The frame was still broken from Seto's kicks, and the door would not entirely close.

"Kaiba."

Seto paused, then looked back. Yami had turned to face him, holding a pair of pajamas in his hands.

"What?"

"Thank you."

Seto grunted, then retreated, heading back to his own suite of rooms. It almost looked as if Yami was recovering from his bout of depression. At least he was responding more. Had even smiled and thanked him. Well, that's what needed to happen. Either he rose out of the darkness in his head, or he didn't.

As for what Seto had said...

Maybe that was just something he'd said, needed to say to wake Yami up. It didn't have any more meaning than 'hello' to a stranger, just a strategy. It didn't matter what Yami thought, as long as he was awake again. Once he was healthy and whole again...he wasn't Seto's problem.

******

Seto climbed into bed late. He'd had the skipped dinner split up, warmed, and sent to both his and Yami's suites. While eating it, he'd been working on reports for Kaiba Corp. Even though it had been a week since the Takanawa clan had finally been eradicated, the company was still behind, especially for the Duel School. It would take a while, still, to catch up after the shitstorm of the Takanawas.

Now it was nearing midnight. Seto changed into his pajamas and crawled into bed, turning off the light. He always preferred to sleep with the curtains open, undisturbed by the moonlight that flowed into the room. That pleasant summer's night, he even had the doors to the balcony open, allowing the fresh breeze into the room, which was scented with the flowers in the massive gardens at the back of the mansion. The chirping of crickets, rather than being annoying, were just right for the atmosphere. Downstairs, just barely audible, came the twelve booms of the grandfather's clock announcing midnight.

As if the clock had also announced his arrival, Seto's bedroom door slowly opened. Without moving, Seto waited for the intruder to come around the bed. With the bright moonlight shining into the room, Yami's outline was easy to pick out. Seto watched him silently as he briefly looked out at the night before turning back to the bed. The mattress dipped as he climbed up onto it, crawling up to lay down beside Seto, sliding himself in under the covers. Seto stared at him through the semi-darkness, expecting an explanation, but Yami just looked back at him without saying anything. Seto could barely see his eyes, made solid black, however, he knew they were fixed on him.

Why Yami had come crawling into his bed he didn't know, but though he probably should have demanded he go sleep in his own bed, he didn't. Instead he closed his eyes and drifted off.

When he woke the next morning, Yami was tucked in under his arm, almost cuddled up to him. Frowning slightly, he lay still, feeling Yami's hair under his chin, his forehead against his collarbone, the whole length of him pressed up against him. Finally he leaned back enough to look down into his face. Yami was still asleep, doing nothing more than breathing. Seto studied his face in repose for a long moment before dropping his gaze to his slightly clenched fists. Reaching out, he slowly uncurled Yami's fingers, looking at the healing lines of what was no less than three dozen cuts marring his right hand. Along his left arm, Seto knew there were dozens of needle punctures, some over an inch deep.

Seto slid back and out of bed without waking him, heading into his private bathroom for a shower. He got cleaned up and dressed in the walk-in closet, taking his time, and Yami was still asleep when he was finished. Seto stood beside the bed, watching him, wondering whether he should wake him or just leave him there and go about his business.

Deciding it would be worse for Yami if he woke alone in the bed, Seto put one knee on the mattress and leaned over to shake him awake. Yami shifted and then opened his eyes, blinking up at him sleepily. He looked at him with an almost embarrassed and concerned look, as if he was ashamed at having come here and expecting Seto to yell at him. When Seto did nothing more than watch him, he sat up and looked away, out towards the morning sky.

In the pale gold light of the late dawn, Yami looked almost as withdrawn and heavy-hearted as he had the previous day. Seto was not surprised. Yami couldn't be expected to bounce back immediately, especially without any help.

Yami started to get out of bed. Seto walked around the edge of it and shoved him back in. Looking taken aback, Yami rolled back up and started to get out again. Seto shoved him back down. Now looking as irritated as confused, Yami sat up again, scowling. Without giving him a chance to talk, Seto pushed him again, harder, rolling him like a puppy.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Yami shouted.

Pleased, Seto wandered to a different angle and pushed Yami again, even though he hadn't tried to get out of bed this time. Yami hissed at him, but Seto merely moved to the other side of the bed and pushed him once more. He realized to Yami it must look as if he'd either lost his mind or was being churlish and stupid, but Seto was trying to get him angry. If Yami was going to heal, he had to feel something, and Seto was best at getting people upset.

Yami tried to push him back, but Seto easily fended off his hands and pushed him again, rolling him against the mattress several times until he was tangled up in the sheets. Seto threw one free corner of a sheet over his head and he was just a lump.

"KAIBA! By all the gods and all things created, what the fuck are you doing?!"

"There," Seto said in satisfaction. "Now you feel something."

There was silence from under the covers. Putting one knee on the edge of the mattress again, Seto grabbed the sheets and hauled. With difficulty, Yami came tumbling out and landed on the floor. Seto dropped the sheets and waited. In only a heartbeat Yami came at him, leaping on him and snarling.

"Is this a game to you?!" he demanded, trying to punch. "Sentoryou, Joey, Aibou, is it all just amusing?!"

Ignoring the bitter accusation, Seto caught Yami's wrists and held them before he could lay a hit, lying on his back with Yami astride his stomach, who was trying to pull his hands back so he could attempt to punch again.

"Stop," Seto said quietly.

Somehow the single word caught Yami's attention and he stopped struggling, looking down at him, though his eyes were still angry.

"You wanted to feel something other than despair," Seto said. "And now you did."

Yami said nothing, but his anger seemed to burn out and he just searched his face. Seto let go of one wrist, wrapped his arm around Yami's waist, and twisted him off and onto the bed. Letting go of him, he got up and left the bedroom.

tbc…


	91. Chapter 91

Chapter Ninety-One:

Yami didn't understand Seto Kaiba. He really didn't. Every time he thought he knew the man, Kaiba went and did something out of character and then Yami didn't really know him at all. Shoving Yami like a child having a tantrum, for instance, had completely thrown Yami for a loop. But his words, more than his actions, unsettled him.

For a long time, Yami remained sitting on the edge of Kaiba's bed after he had been moved onto the mattress and Kaiba had left. Finally he got up and headed downstairs to find him and found him eating breakfast in the dining room, reading from a newspaper. He glanced up briefly when Yami entered the room, then looked back down at his paper.

Yami joined him at the table, despite the fact that he was still in his pajamas and had not yet washed up. Kaiba made no protest, and the room was otherwise deserted. For a long while the only sounds were the clink of dishes. It was only when Kaiba set down the newspaper and got to his feet in order to head to work that Yami looked up and spoke.

"Kaiba..."

Kaiba turned around and looked at him, almost warily. Yami hesitated, glanced out the window, found himself staring at the roses, and looked back at Kaiba.

"...will you have dinner with me tonight?"

Kaiba looked surprised. He frowned slightly, studying him, then nodded his head curtly. He turned away and left the dining room, leaving Yami alone to wonder how they had ended up where they were. And what, if anything, lay in the future.

Around dinnertime, Kaiba came home. Though he felt awkward issuing orders to Kaiba's household staff, giving orders was not something he was new to. Making sure to be polite, he'd set them to having dinner on the table for the two of them at the appropriate time. Though he didn't do much else during the day, by the time Kaiba came home he was showered and changed into fresh clothes. He considered calling Annie, realizing he hadn't done that at all since before Yugi and Joey had died. It had been a little over a week, and he'd skipped three shifts, without calling in. But despite that, he didn't pick up the phone.

When Kaiba came home, the two of them settled down to eat at the table. Yami noticed Kaiba looking at him furtively several times, but he didn't say anything. Now that they were doing this, he wasn't sure what he wanted to say. He'd already thanked Kaiba for allowing him to stay here, and for what he'd done for him the previous night. And he felt ashamed of himself, for allowing such things to happen. He knew he should do better, if only so he wasn't such a burden to Kaiba.

Dinner was nearly over and they hadn't said anything to each other. If Kaiba wondered why Yami had asked him to be here and then hadn't said anything, he didn't say so himself. The silence between them was complete.

After dinner, Kaiba headed upstairs to his office. Yami paced around in the dining room, getting in the way of the staff trying to clear the dishes. Finally he headed upstairs, toward the office. Kaiba was sitting at his computer station, typing away. He looked up when Yami entered and frowned. Yami walked into the room, heading around the desk, Kaiba swiveling his chair to continue facing him.

"What?"

"Kaiba, I--"

"Mr. Kaiba, sir, there's a phone call for you," a woman's voice said from the intercom.

Kaiba glanced at the clock beside the computer. It was nearly eight o'clock, too late for a business call. Kaiba sighed and picked up the handset, pushing the blinking light. He answered and Yami stood in silence, listening to the one-sided conversation.

"Yes? Yes, it is rather la--Oh. Uh-huh. Yes. I understand. Yes...I'll tell him. When can we--? Yes, I'll do it. Is it still set up for tomorrow? Sooner is better after all this time. Yes, I'll tell him."

Kaiba hung the phone up, though he continued to look at it for a long moment. Yami was frowning now, sensing that something was wrong.

"Kaiba?"

Kaiba looked over at him, then away and cleared his throat. He seemed like he had something to say he didn't want to say, which was strange to see.

"Um, Yami, that was the coroner's office."

Yami felt the blood drain out of his face. Kaiba looked up at him again and he looked away, turning toward the huge window behind the desk. It was getting dark outside, the sun setting. The sky was full of blood-red light streaked through with gold. Kaiba went on.

"He's through with the autopsies. Yugi and Joey can be buried tomorrow."

******

Yami stood staring at the front facade of the funeral home. It was Monday afternoon and the funeral for Yugi and Joey was to begin in an hour. Yami had been brought to the funeral home by Kaiba's chauffer, an appointment that had already been set up. He was already in his suit, a different suit he'd bought that morning for the funeral, as his other was still in the apartment or else in a room at the police station. With extreme trepidation, he mounted the short, wide flight of steps and headed up to the fancy front doors. He pushed through one and entered a receiving area that boasted dark wood paneling, soft lighting, and ornate furniture. Yami frowned around at the scene. He didn't like that a funeral home looked like a cozy common room from a bed and breakfast.

"Hello."

Yami turned his head, seeing a tall and thin man in a dark, impeccable suit standing in the doorway leading off from the receiving area. He was very pale, with his dark hair pushed back from his face, and a strange little smile on his face.

"Welcome, welcome," he said. "I trust you are here...Do forgive me but judging by your appearance, you are here to see to the arrangements of Mr. Yugi Moto and Mr. Joseph Wheeler?"

Yami nodded, forcing himself to walk further into the room. The funeral director walked over to a desk with a signal bell, a bowl of flowers, and a large and flat book. He picked up the book, which had a glossy, burgundy cover, and a gold fountain pen.

"Very well, very well. Follow me, Mr. Moto, and we'll see what we like in the showing room."

Yami frowned at him, unsure of what he meant. What he liked in the showing room?

The funeral director, who had not given him his name and had no ID tag, had him follow him through the doorway he'd first appeared in and into a room much larger than the first one. It had to comprise of much of the rest of the funeral home, and Yami didn't want to think of what else would be within the walls, for this room was plenty bad enough.

It was just as cheerfully decorated as the other room, but was filled with golden braces on which rested at least two dozen different kinds of coffins. They ranged of different wood colors, ranging from nearly snowy white to pitch black. They were shiny enough to reflect the room around them almost as purely as mirrors. The insides contained satin padding and pillows of paler colors than the outsides.

"Here we are," the funeral director said pleasantly. His voice was perpetually soft, like they were in a library or church, and his smile remained fixed. "Lovely, aren't they? Now, what are you interested in? Want them to lie in style, don't we."

Yami stared at the director in disbelief. If the man noticed, he didn't give a sign. Instead, he walked over to a coffin that was a shiny mahogany affair, with a sky blue satin inside. Along the corners and the bottom were woodwork scrolling.

"Ah, here we are. One of our finer affairs. Very comfy, very sturdy. See the scrollwork along the side? See the intricacy put into the making of it? Quite the work of pride."

Yami was liking this man less and less. These were coffins. True, in Egypt Yami's own sarcophagus had been made of gold and inlaid with gems, his burial and those of other pharaohs the most lavish of affairs. Nevertheless, it was done with somberness and respect, as befitted the occasion. This man made it seem like he was offering Yami a car, or a picture frame. He was a salesman, a man who made money in death, with not a care for the dead on which he made his sales.

"I don't--"

"No? Well, we have others, of course. This one is one of my favorites." He walked over to a coffin that was made of cherrywood, reddish and gleaming. Its satin inlay was cream.

"I just want--"

"Oh, don't worry about the price. You know its all taken care of."

Yami frowned, uncomprehending. All taken care of? Yugi's family's life insurance had been drained away by Yugi's medical bills, and neither he nor Joey had had any such policies. They had no wills, either, so all their money and property went to the government, except for what Yami had secreted away from the apartment. All that Yami had was the bank account he'd opened with the fake identification Kaiba had given him.

Kaiba. Had he...?

"Mr. Kaiba made it quite clear no expenses were to be spared. In fact, he set up arrangements, should you be unable to decide yourself. It's all in order for four o'clock, if you'd rather not--"

Yami turned and left the funeral home without saying another word. Outside, the sky was growing cloudy, though the sun shone still. It was a quarter after three, and the town car and chauffer were still outside at the curb. The man looked up as Yami came down the steps and straightened up from where he'd been leaning against the driver's door.

"Sir, if you're done in there--"

"Where's Kaiba?"

"Sir? Master Kaiba is at work, sir."

Of course he was. It was Monday afternoon, so Kaiba was at Kaiba Corp., working on whatever he had to do. It had to be clear Yami was at a loss, for the driver said, "Sir, I'll take you out to the graveyard, when you're ready to go. The others should be arriving there soon."

Yami blinked, wondering why he couldn't get his head around anything anyone said. "Who?"

"Why, Miss Gardner, Mr. Taylor, and the rest, sir. They got in on the two-twenty flight at Domino Airport. Ogata's gone to get them, and he'll take them to the east cemetery. So, if you will?"

Yami hesitated, then walked forward and got into the back compartment of the town car. The driver climbed in and took off. They made it to the cemetery at ten 'til four. The car passed through the wrought-iron gates and into a wide cemetery filled with fresh-cut green grass, well-kept trees, and many headstones. Where the funeral was going to be held was easy to see. Around two open plots were a great pile of dirt, two headstones already in place, and four rows of six folding black chairs. Around the chairs were collapsible pedestals on which rested vases of flowers. Over each of the open plots were some sort of contraption that lowered the coffins into the stone vaults at the bottoms of the shafts.

As Yami got out of the car and walked over to the area, he saw another car coming up the drive. Ignoring it, he walked over to the empty plots, looking down at the vaults six feet below. At the head of each open plot were the headstones, side-by-side and apart from each other by only a foot of space. The stones were of grey-blue granite, flecked with bronze, and the legends were in bronze.

Yugi's headstone read:

Yugi Moto

B. June 4th, 1980 D. June 14, 2004

Here Lies A Great Duelist and A Greater Friend

Joey's headstone read:

Joseph Wheeler

B. January 25, 1980 D. June 14, 2004

Here Lies A True Fighter

Yami stared at the headstones for what seemed like an eternity. It wasn't that long, for he was soon surrounded by Tea, Tristan, Duke, Mai, and Serenity. They had been in the car that had come up the drive, and now they clustered around him, offering their condolences, asking questions, and expressing their disbelief. Yami must have responded, though he wasn't sure what he said. Eventually his attention was taken up by three more vehicles arriving at the funeral.

A lead vehicle bearing little flags of blue and silver was followed by two somber black hearses, also bearing the funeral homes flags. They came up to the plots, parking along the curb. As Yami watched, uniformed attendants got out of the hearses and the lead vehicle, four each attending the coffins.

Yami stood still and watched, hearing nothing of the birds and insects and conversation, seeing nothing but the eight men in black suits with white gloves carrying the coffins to the low tables. One coffin was glossy black, with curling scrollwork along the corner and bottom edges. The second coffin was dark oak, with scalloped edges. Both were draped with flowers; red roses and yellow day lilies on the oak, blue-purple violets and white orchids on the black wood.

Yami was pleased to see that neither was the favorite coffin of the disturbing funeral director.

The attendants lowered the coffins gently on the contraptions and then backed off, going to stand in a line by the hearses. A priest came to stand at the head of the rows of chairs, his back to the plots.

Through his fog, Yami sat down with the others in the chairs. The priest began the funeral. Sitting in the chairs were only Yami, Tea, Tristan, Serenity, Mai, and Duke.

Neither of Joey's parents showed up.

The funeral was not a common one. The caskets were closed, there had been no wake nor viewing, and no procession with the hearses. However, once the caskets had arrived at the graveyard, it went on like a normal funeral. The priest intoned about love and forgiveness and friendship and any number of other subjects Yami paid no attention to. His gaze was forever on the coffins sitting side-by-side on the tables.

Eventually the funeral was done. The coffins lowered mechanically into the stone vaults. The contraptions would be removed and the holes filled in, though only after everyone was gone and the graveyard closed. The group got up and Yami did so as well. He could hear the others talking to him, but now he didn't even bother responding. He did notice when they started to go, knowing that they would have to. They would have to eat, and they would eventually have to go home to their jobs. Their lives.

He said goodbye to them, but refused their invitations to go with them. He wasn't in the mood and after a bit they gave up trying to convince him to go along. With many hugs and shoulder-clapping, the five of them left. Both Tea and Serenity had eyes red and faces puffy from hard crying and Mai's eyes glistened. Tristan and Duke looked somber. Everyone was in black dresses or suits and grieving. He was a little clearer-headed now and he thanked them for coming, but sent them on their way without him. He wasn't ready to go yet and when they left, he got the sense they went more because they thought he wanted them to than because they wanted to.

The sky overhead had turned from merely a little cloudy to the grey of storms as Yami stood at the feet of the grave plots, in between their inside corners, looking into the dark holes. The coffins lay in the vaults, waiting to be enclosed and covered with dirt. As Yami stood there, the sky opened up and rain began to fall. Yami didn't move, and ignored the graveyard attendants asking him if he was okay. They tried to get him to leave and he refused, making them back off and leave to get in under the eaves of the graveyard's information house. From there they stood and stared at him, but he turned his back and stood beside the graves again, reading the headstones. The engravings.

The rain pounded down harder and soon he was soaked in his suit. With the pounding of the rain and his absorption with the graves, he didn't hear the person coming up behind him, but he did feel the hand clapping down on his shoulder. He didn't jump or turn, knowing who it was and that he would be there without really knowing.

Kaiba stood silently beside him, his hand leaving his shoulder to briefly touch his back and then fall to his side. They stood in silence for a long moment. Yami didn't lift his gaze from the graves, but he was acutely aware of Kaiba with him, staying with him even in the downpour, letting him grieve for his lost loved ones. Yami was very grateful for his presence, very glad to have him there with him, even if he didn't say anyting. Eventually, however, Kaiba did speak.

"You didn't learn your lesson about the rain last time, did you?"

It was his way of saying that Yami had to go. Reluctantly, but knowing that he did have to, Yami turned away and walked with Kaiba back to the drive that meandered through the graveyard. The funeral car and hearses were long gone, as was the car that had brought his friends. The town car was there, along with the limo that Kaiba had ridden in to Kaiba Corp. that morning.

Kaiba sent the town car on home and got into the limo with Yami. They headed back to the mansion, in silence, while Yami watched the rain-drenched city pass by through the window. Once in the mansion, Yami stopped Kaiba in the third floor hallway before he could turn towards his rooms. Ignoring his clear awkwardness, and his own, Yami hugged Kaiba around his middle.

"I saw what you had written on their headstones," he said thickly, pressing his cheek against Kaiba's chest, feeling the drenched cloth against his skin. "And I know you did all the arrangements yourself. Thank you, Kaiba."

Kaiba grunted, standing stock still with his arms at his sides. Yami slowly drew back, looking up at him and seeing the discomfort in his eyes. Nevertheless, he met his gaze.

"You're welcome, Yami."

Yami stared at him a minute. Kaiba had planned everything, from the release of the bodies to the funeral home, to the coffins and flower arrangements, to the transport of the coffins to the graveyard. He'd set up the plot arrangement, the time for the burials, for the priest to be there, and had had the headstones cut. He'd even chosen the messages, which meant a great deal to Yami, meant the most. They were true and affectionate and spoke very well of the dead. Kaiba must have thought about what to have written, and had chosen things Yami would have had chosen himself. He'd even placed a pleasant message on Joey's stone, with no mocking in it, blatant or concealed.

Yami stood on his tiptoes and pressed a brief kiss to Kaiba's lips before turning and quickly heading into his bedroom.

tbc…


	92. Chapter 92

Chapter Ninety-Two:

Seto stared after Yami long after he'd already closed the door to his bedroom. He no longer noticed he was soaked through, his clothes clinging to his body uncomfortably, his hair plastered against his skull. He just stood there and stared at the door Yami had disappeared through.

He'd kissed him. Yami had just kissed him.

Hardly a first time, but entirely unexpected. Did that mean that he was starting to feel things again?

Seto stood there, unsure of what to do next. But since Yami had fled to his suite and shut the door, he didn't want to be followed. So Seto turned and headed back into his own bedroom. He got dried and dressed in clean, dry clothes. It was half past six, and time for dinner, and he was hungry. He didn't expect Yami to show up. He'd just buried his best friends, and no doubt the pain was stinging afresh. He'd leave him alone for now.

Indeed, as he'd expected, Yami did not come down for dinner. No sooner had Seto finished eating then the phone rang. A maid went to answer it, but Seto stopped her, standing up and fetching it himself. When he answered, he was very surprised to find Tea Gardner on the other end.

"Oh, hello, Kaiba," she said, sounding just as surprised that he had answered. He didn't know why, it was his phone. "I, um, I was just wondering if Yami made it home okay. I, um, we saw you come into the cemetery when we were leaving, and I can't get ahold of Yami at his old number. It's been disconnected. So I thought I'd give you a call, see if you know when he left and if he got home."

"He's been staying with me."

"Oh." The surprise in her voice was even more easy to hear than the first time. "Oh. Well, that's very...nice of you, Kaiba." It was clear from the way she said it that the concept of Seto being nice was nearly alien to her. A smirk curved Seto's mouth. "I'm just glad Yami is okay. Um, would you let him know, if he needs anything, he can always call me?"

"Sure."

"Okay. Thanks."

Seto hung up the phone, then looked up at the ceiling, above which was Yami's room. Seto went upstairs, knowing that he was checking on him but refusing to admit it even to himself. He knocked on Yami's door, expecting silence, but instead got an invitation to come in.

Yami was standing at the window, watching the continuing storm, even though, with the darkening effects of both the heavy cloud-cover and the approaching sunset, twilight had come early. The rain pounded down, streaming against the glass, distorting the view outside almost to a point that everything appeared a single unit. Yami watched it without turning around when Seto came in.

At first Seto was just going to turn around and leave. Yami was standing at the window, not lying in bed dead to the world or in the bathroom, subconsciously if not intentionally killing himself. Instead, he walked across the room, stopping behind Yami. Thanks to the effect of the rain, Seto could see Yami's reflection in the glass.

"Tea called," Seto said.

He saw Yami's expression change subtly in surprise. "What did she say?"

"She was just--"

"Checking up on me."

Seto met his gaze in the mirror effect of the window and nodded. Yami held his gaze for a moment, before his eyes refocused outside. Seto started to turn away.

"I'll have to thank her."

Seto paused, then nodded again. He left the room, leaving Yami to the rain and his thoughts.

That night, however, Yami came sneaking into his bed again. Seto was a little irritated, but allowed him to climb in under the covers. Yami settled down and stared at him. Seto stared back at him for a long moment before closing his eyes, and letting him stay.

******

When Seto awoke, he expected Yami to be cuddled up under his chin again. This time, however, the other half of the bed was empty. Seto sat up, looking around the room, but it was empty of anyone but himself. He threw back the covers and got out of bed, moving over to the double doors that led out to the balcony. He'd had them closed last night because of the storm, and saw that the rain continued even now. The flower bushes and hedges were getting flooded in their beds, the fountains overflowing. The trees' branches hung heavy with water and the lawn flooded.

Seto turned away from the outdoors and walked over to his closet. A glance at the clock told him it was only a little after six-thirty in the morning. The storm must have woken him. Or Yami leaving.

Seto gathered his robe and put it on over his pajamas. Very rarely did he wander around in his night clothes, even though it was his house. This time he made an exception, cinching the belt around his waist and leaving the room. Outside, it was still late June. But with the storm and the air-conditioning in the house, it was not too warm to wear the robe, and Seto was not going to walk around in only his pajamas.

It was Tuesday, and Seto never slept past seven. Only on Sunday did he allow himself to sleep in, and only until nine. He was both a morning person and a night person. He could stay up eighteen hours, work all day, get five hours of sleep, and still be as wide awake the next morning as if he'd rested the day before and slept eight hours. It was an advantage of his. One, unfortunately, he had to attribute to Gozaburo and his inhumane training.

It didn't take Seto very long to find Yami. He was in the conservatory, a room filled with potted plants of various sizes and types, so thickly populated that it resembled a jungle with a path carved through it. It jutted out from the rear of the mansion, three of its walls and its roof made entirely of thick planes of glass. Yami was at the end of the winding path, standing in front of the little clearing of chairs and table, looking out at the rain. Unlike Seto, he was dressed. He must have made a stop to his rooms before coming here.

Yami looked at him over his shoulder then turned back to the storm. "Did I wake you, Kaiba?"

"I don't know."

"I'm sorry."

Seto walked over and sat down in one of the cushy chairs. He watched Yami for a little bit, seeing him staring out at the storm without pause. He knew what he was really doing was thinking, stewing in recent events. It was disconcerting to see him wandering around, half of what he had been. None of his former glory and presence. He had always been quiet, always been reserved when he wasn't dueling, but he had always been there, noticeable.

Not so now.

******

A week later, not much had changed. The rain had let up and the world had just barely escaped drowning. Life had returned to normal for Seto, now that he was free of crazed Yakuza members with a misguided grudge. He worked at Kaiba Corp., and got the business back on track. He obtained a green light for his Duel School and got it under way, ready to open in a year's time. He talked to Mokuba, who was growing more and more anxious as the date of the baby's arrival drew nearer. Seto tried to keep him calm by reminding him that the first-time mother wasn't nearly so nervous. On the other hand, Mokuba had an excuse.

Their mother had died giving birth to him.

Nevertheless, Mokuba was not panicking. He was as excited for Hideaki's arrival as he was edgy. Both mother and child were in good hands.

Yami, however, had seemed to, gradually, improve. He was still not much of a talker--which was fine by Seto--but he spent less and less time in his room and less and less time brooding at the windows. As soon as the rain had eased, he'd been out the door, roaming Domino like he was looking for something specific but didn't know where he could find it. Maybe he was doing just that--looking for an answer to explain the wild turn his life path had taken. Yami was, after all, a mystic.

Since the night after the double-funeral, he'd slept in his own bed.

Seto turned off his computer and gathered his coat. He headed down to where his limo was waiting and got in. The weather still looked threatening, the sky rolling with iron-grey clouds and the wind buffeting the trees. Much of Domino was deserted, as people hurried home to beat the possible renewal of the rain.

The usual path the limo driver took to reach the mansion briefly paralleled the beach. Standing at the very end of an enormous rock jetty that stuck a quarter mile out and fifty feet above the surf was a lone figure. Even from that distance, Seto knew who it was.

"Pull over," he ordered his driver.

Seto got out of the limo and walked down the wooden steps leading to the beach, crossing the sandy stretch to the foot of the rocks. An attempt had been made at one point to make steps of the rocks and flatten the top of the jetty, an effort that had long since been abandoned, but which still provided an easy access to the summit. Seto climbed up the rough steps, then began walking along the length of the jetty, stepping from rock to rock.

Yami was standing facing the water, perched on the top of the highest stone, the sea-scented air pushing his hair back and whipping at his clothes. Seto picked his way along the rocks until he was standing to the left of Yami, then looked up at him.

"Did you mean it?" Yami asked abruptly, before Seto had even announced his presence. Seto hadn't thought he'd seen or heard him.

"Mean what?" Seto demanded, though he knew as soon as the question was out of his mouth.

Yami turned his head and looked at him. His red eyes were fathoms deep. Seto frowned at his expression, then turned his gaze out to the sea. From the corner of his eye, he saw Yami do the same. The wind continued to toss their hair and clothes, the waves crashing against the rocks below them sending up fine sprays of salty ocean water. Finally Seto moved, climbing easily up onto Yami's rock.

"You gonna jump if I say no?" Seto demanded, but softly, standing at Yami's side, his hand resting against the small of Yami's back.

Yami looked up at him, his eyes searching his face. Abruptly his brow furrowed and he looked thoughtful, then surprised, then angry, and lastly embarrassed. Seto stared back at him, now wary, wondering if he was losing his mind.

"You've been having to take care of me, watch me, haven't you?"

Seto snorted. He now realized that Yami's changing expression had been *him* realizing just how much he'd been moping, which had surprised him, then angered him, and then embarrassed him. As Seto gave him an exasperated look, Yami managed a smile, then turned more toward him and wound his arms around his waist. He stared up at him, then suddenly stood on his tip-toes like he had before in the hall, and pressed his lips to Seto's. After a second, Seto wrapped him up in his arms and opened his mouth. Yami moaned a little, pressing harder against him.

Feeling lust spiking, Seto drew back, catching his breath. Yami's eyes were on him.

"I don't know what you're thinking, but there's no way in hell I'm screwing you on a pile of sharp rocks, out in the wet sea air. Even you're not that cute."

Yami blinked, then smiled again. It was still not the sort of smile he was capable of, the sort of amused, challenging smile he often gave Seto. But he did smile and turn with Seto back toward the mainland. They made their way along the rocks, across the beach, and up the wooden stairs to the sidewalk. The two of them climbed into the back of the limo and it resumed its journey towards the mansion. Seto did his best to read one of the reports his secretary had left in his mailbox, but he was acutely aware of Yami staring at him. But after a bit Yami looked out the window again, and Seto went back to his reading.

Back at the mansion, dinner was waiting for them. They washed up before sitting down to eat, Seto reading more of the reports while Yami, surprisingly, read that morning's newspaper. At first Seto was going to take it away from him as it contained a piece in a continuing, if dwindling, series about the deaths of Yugi and Joey. The official story from the coroner was a double-homicide. The official story from the police, however, was a continuing search for those responsible and an admittance of frustration at the lack of leads.

Yami read the article with no change in his expression, but he left the dinner table soon after, without finishing either the paper or his dinner. Seto watched him go, then turned back to the report he'd been reading. He finished it, then stuffed the rest back into his briefcase without reading them, getting up and heading upstairs.

At the end of the hallway, Yami's door was closed. Seto knocked and received no answer. Inside, he could hear water running. For a second he considered kicking down the door again. In the week that had passed, the door, its latch, and its frame, had all been fixed.

The water was still running in the bathroom.

Seto turned away and headed back to his own suite. In an hour he'd go and see what Yami was doing, even if an hour could well be too late. But if he was really to be expected to get himself back together, he had to be left alone. He'd insisted he wasn't going to commit suicide. Seto would have to leave him alone and see that for himself.

It was a little after seven and Seto got a shower to wash off the lingering saltiness from the beach and changed into a fresh pair of pajamas. He would check his company's stock, check his e-mail, then probably watch the evening's news before bed.

The bedroom door opened without a knock. Seto looked up as Yami slid into the room and shut the door. Yami was wearing a bathrobe and his hair looked damp. After all, all he'd been doing was getting a shower.

Seto sat still on the edge of his bed and watched Yami as he walked over to him. His eyes held his gaze, burning and yet somehow nervous. He came up to him, reaching down without breaking the eye contact to take his hand. Seto frowned slightly as Yami held his hand between both of his, caressing lightly with his fingertips before lacing their fingers together. Yami stepped closer, one knee lifting to brace against the bed as he leaned forward.

Now their locked gazes broke apart as their lips met. Yami's free hand rested on Seto's shoulder, and he was half-straddling him, one foot still planted on the floor, his mouth lightly against Seto's. Seto parted his lips, deepening the kiss as he reached up to wrap his free arm around Yami's waist. Yami's weight leaned against him and he slowly tilted over, laying down on his back with Yami on top of him.

The kiss broke and Yami lifted his head enough to look down at him. His eyes were intense. Bright. Alive.

Seto's mouth was taken in another kiss and he growled softly, flicking his tongue against Yami's bottom lip. Yami moaned, and Seto took over the kiss, grazing Yami's palette with his tongue before pulling his hand from Yami's and wrapping both arms around him, running his hands down his back over the robe. Yami rolled his hips against him and Seto felt the hardening bulge that dug into his stomach. Yami's mouth pressed harder to his before he suddenly broke the kiss, brushing his lips across Seto's cheek to his ear.

His breath was hot as it feathered against his skin. "I love you."

Seto turned his head back, glancing into Yami's eyes. Yami stared back at him, waiting for him to respond to his statement. Seto finally smirked and leaned up, catching Yami's mouth in another kiss, sliding his hand down his waist. Yami groaned, bracing himself with his hands splayed against the mattress as Seto moved his mouth down his bare neck. He sucked a mark, bracing himself on one forearm while his other hand wandered along Yami's back and butt. He squeezed and Yami shuddered, his hands coming up to grab Seto's shoulders, pulling back and pushing Seto down. Sitting up on his haunches, Yami's fingers began undoing the buttons to Seto's top. He leaned in, his mouth following his fingers, pressing little kisses and licks to every inch of skin that was exposed. Seto closed his eyes, shivering as the heat began to rise through his body.

Yami's mouth wandered over his stomach as the last button came undone and the shirt fell open at his sides. Seto opened his eyes and looked down, watching Yami's spiky head. Yami abruptly sat back up on his knees, then slid off the bed. His hands went to the knot of the tie around his waist and undid it. He slid the robe off and let it drop to the floor. Seto nearly groaned; Yami hadn't been wearing a thing under that robe.

He sat up, surged forward, and grabbed Yami's arm, jerking him roughly back to the bed. He was still sitting on the edge and he pulled Yami up against it between his legs, still holding his arm with one hand and tangling the fingers of the other in his hair, pulling him into a demanding kiss. Fighting with his tongue, he released his hold on his hair and trailed that hand down his back, feeling the smooth skin over the hard bones of his spine all the way down to his rear. He dipped the tips of his middle and ring fingers between his buttocks and Yami made a faint noise, his free arm around Seto's neck, his other still trapped in Seto's grip.

Seto broke the kiss and scooted back up onto the bed, pulling Yami up along with him. Yami straddled his legs, pulling his arm from Seto's hold and cupping his face, kissing him again. Seto growled and opened his mouth to let him take over, his hands wandering Yami's body as he sat there with him astride his lap. He felt Yami's fingers brush down his chest and stomach to the waistband of his pajama bottoms and he stopped him, grabbing his hands and pulling them up, before grabbing him and flipping him over onto the mattress. He rolled over on top of him, looking down at him.

"Are you sure you want to do this? Now?"

Yami's eyes flicked back and forth between his, searching, no doubt understanding what he meant. His answer was to surge upward and kiss Seto again, hard and rough. His hands tugged at him, pulling him insistently and Seto gave in, laying down on him and returning the kiss. He drew one hand down Yami's ribs, feeling him shift at the ticklish sensations before wrapping his fingers around his erection. Yami's cry was muffled by his mouth and he grinned against his lips, sliding his fingers slowly up and down the hard length. Yami trembled and arched up against him, the kiss breaking as he tilted his head back, his nails digging into Seto's shoulders.

"Kaiba," he gasped, his voice low and breathless.

Seto bent his head and nibbled on his neck, tightening his hand and stroking faster. Yami's breathing was starting to grow ragged, his chest heaving, his skin burning. Seto kissed down his neck to his collarbone, then further down. He pulled on a nipple with his lips, then ran his tongue over it. Yami moaned, one hand moving to tangle in his hair. Seto wandered further down, dragging his tongue over Yami's quivering stomach. He flicked his tongue against the tip of Yami's erection, pulling back when his hips jerked up. He rolled his tongue against it again, then mouthed the tip, still stroking with his hand. Yami's fingers tightened in his hair, his other hand gripping a fistful of the sheets.

"Kaiba!"

Seto pulled away, shimmying down and sliding off the bed to stand at its foot, putting his hands on the waistband of his pajama bottoms. He slid them down and off, stepping out of them. Yami lay against the sheets, looking up at him. His eyes wandered from Seto's down to his erection then back up. A lascivious smile graced his face and he sat up, twisting around lithely until he could grab Seto's hips with his hands. His mouth engulfed Seto and dragged a gasp from his throat. One hand on Yami's shoulder, the other on top of his head, he locked his knees and tried to brace himself as every suck from Yami's mouth made him want to buckle. Yami's tongue swirled around the base, then ran up the length as Yami drew his head back before he sucked in his cheeks and took him back down his throat. Seto shut his eyes, gritting his teeth against a moan, a shudder racing up his spine.

"Yami."

Seto allowed a few more minutes of the exquisite pleasure before reaching down, grabbing Yami's biceps and hauling him up, kissing him hungrily. He growled as he tasted himself in his mouth, pushing Yami back, letting go of his bicep with one hand so he could grab a thigh, pulling his legs out from under him and pressing him down. After a little bit of making out, he let Yami go and leaned over and opened the drawer in his nightstand, searching for something to use for lube. Yami rolled over so he was half on his back, his fingers, mouth, and teeth wandering to very pleasurable effect. Seto momentarily forgot what he was doing, stilling as Yami marked his back. A very sharp nip that made Seto hiss in pain was soothed by soft kisses and swipes of his tongue.

Finally Seto's brain clicked on what he was in the middle of and he turned toward Yami, rolling under him to press a kiss to his mouth before sliding off the bed and heading into the bathroom, finding nothing suitable in the nightstand drawer. He managed to locate a tube of hand lotion and he came back into the bedroom, finding Yami lying in the center of the bed on his back, stretched out against the piled pillows and waiting.

Seto climbed back up onto the bed, moving over him and bending down to briefly kiss him before opening the tube of lotion. He slicked his fingers, watching with lust as Yami spread his legs, arching his back to give him access. Seto moved his hand down, beginning to slide his fingers inside, one by one and with care, knowing that it had been a little while. Yami moaned, his eyes closed and his head back against the pillows. He began moving against his fingers, his breath coming in little gasps. Seto watched his expression, scissoring his fingers carefully and watching as he rocked wantonly.

Once Yami was ready, Seto poured more lotion onto his fingers and slicked his cock. He dropped the tube and shifted into position, reaching down to grasp one of Yami's thighs and hold it against his side as he slid inside. They both moaned, Yami's hands on Seto's shoulders again. Seto eased in to the hilt, then paused to give Yami time to adjust. They exchanged a few more kisses, Yami's fingers wandering over Seto's shoulders and through his hair.

"Move," he panted. "Please."

Seto happily obliged. He began to thrust, moving slowly, but quickly gaining speed. Yami met his motions, his thighs hugging his hips. He raked his nails up Seto's back, making him arch and groan, dropping his mouth to his neck. Yami's head tipped back, his pulse rapid beneath Seto's lips. His throat vibrated with his moans and he urged Seto faster. They crashed together, Seto burying his face in Yami's hair. The slick, tight heat of him massaged his length and he shuddered, undulating his hips desperately.

Yami's hand stole down between their bodies and he made himself cry out. Amused, Seto bit lightly at his jawline before moving his hand down, wrapping his fingers around Yami's. He made him squeeze tighter, drawing another cry from his throat.

They were rapidly approaching the end already, neither of them caring to draw it out, no matter how long it had been. Seto forced Yami to stroke himself faster, pulling his hand with his while slamming his hips into him. Yami's other hand was digging nails into his skin. They met in another feverish kiss, moaning into each other's mouths. Seto urged Yami to come, keeping the perfect angle, controlling the movements of his hand, his teeth tugging on his bottom lip before moving to his ear.

"Kaiba..."

Yami threw his head and cried out, his back arching up. He came over his stomach, his muscles clenching on Seto. He moaned, going still as shudders of pleasure rippled along his spine. He came, biting lightly on Yami's shoulder, thrusting a few more times before stopping. The two of them held each other, catching their breaths and letting the sweat cool on their skin. Slowly Seto withdrew, moving to lay down on his stomach on the bed beside Yami.

Yami turned his head toward him. Seto looked back at him, his cheek resting on the pillow. Yami smiled, a drowsy smile, his eyes half-closed. He looked great like that. Seto returned his smile, watching as his eyes closed and he drifted off to sleep. Closing his own eyes, he soon followed.

tbc…


	93. Chapter 93

Chapter Ninety-Three:

Yami woke the next morning still snuggled in Kaiba's enormous bed. Speaking of whom, Kaiba was still lying belly-down next to him, fast asleep. Yami turned his head on the pillow, watching him sleep for a minute. Then he got up, wincing at the ache in his backside. He walked into the bathroom, finding it to be the biggest, most expensive bathroom he'd ever seen.

Yami amused himself for a bit finding what taps did what in the enormous shower stall. It was one of those modern ones that had jets coming out of the walls from shoulder to ankle, as well as the main one that showered down upon the head. Instead of bottles of shampoo and conditioner or bars of soap, there were dispensers built into the wall. After making sure he knew what button and tap did what, Yami adjusted the temperature on the water and slipped into the shower. With the jets spraying every inch of his body, in addition to the shower head, it was a very pleasant experience.

He finished his shower and turned off the water, pulling open the plastic door.

He came face-to-face with Kaiba. The taller man was standing in the middle of the large bathroom, watching him as he stepped out of the shower stall. Yami stepped into the bathroom, suddenly feeling awkward. He didn't know why. This was certainly not the first morning after he'd had with Kaiba.

Yami walked forward, and Kaiba didn't step back or move out of his way. Yami started to go around him, when Kaiba suddenly moved, pushing Yami back against the counter of the sink. Yami looked up at him, seeing Kaiba looking back down at him with intense eyes. The both of them were still naked, Kaiba still sticky from the previous night. The look in his eyes was scorching.

"Kaiba?" Yami asked uncertainly.

Kaiba abruptly let him go and walked around him, into the shower. Yami watched him close the door, then turned and walked out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. He gathered his robe and put it on, before leaving Kaiba's suite. He went back to his own, changing into some fresh clothes. Standing in front of the mirror that was set in the back of the door, Yami studied his appearance. He looked much better than he had this time a couple weeks ago or even last week. He had gained back the weight he had lost, as well as the color in his face. He looked healthy again.

Yami left his room and went in search of Kaiba. He found him in the dining room, being served breakfast by the household staff. Kaiba glanced up as he came in, then looked back down at his paper. Yami settled himself in a chair across the table from him. Dishes and chopsticks had already been set out for him in anticipation of him coming to the table and he started serving himself.

The breakfast passed in silence. Yami wasn't sure what Kaiba was thinking now. It was hard to decide what was going to happen now. Yes, they had both admitted loving the other, but neither was exactly comfortable with that admission, Yami knew that. And neither was the sort to expect or want sweetness and romance and little bouquets of flowers with boxes of chocolates.

Yami snorted laughter at the thought of the expression on Kaiba's face if he were presented with exactly that.

"What are you laughing at?"

Yami looked up at Kaiba and shook his head, doing his best to quash that image. "Nothing."

Kaiba studied him openly for a moment or so, then turned back to his newspaper. Yami went back to eating, trying to figure out what he was going to do that day. The grief over the loss of his friends remained fresh, and would not lessen anytime soon, but unfortunately there was nothing he could do about it. And he was still alive. He would have to go on, which was exactly what Kaiba had been trying to teach him. The only problem was deciding how he was going to do that. Where would he go, what would he do?

Yami looked up across the table at Kaiba, who was still reading the paper. He did know one thing for sure.

He felt most alive with Kaiba.

"Kaiba?"

The other looked up, setting his chopsticks down and folding up the paper. "Yes, Yami?"

"There must be something I can do to...earn my keep. Pay you back."

Kaiba frowned. While Yami knew he didn't like owing favors, being paid back should have been something he'd know how to handle. He should be happy to assign Yami to some task, shouldn't he? After all, Kaiba did nothing without expecting some return.

"I grew up doing nothing," Yami continued quickly. "But I've gotten used to helping out and I prefer it."

"Don't worry about it," Kaiba said finally, getting to his feet.

Yami looked at him and smiled. Could it be that Kaiba didn't expect any return favors because he was doing what he was doing because he wanted to? He really did love him. That certainly gave Yami a good feeling, surprising as it was. After all, Kaiba was the last person he'd ever expect to have fallen in love with. Even if they were much alike, they were at loggerheads every other minute.

Kaiba left the room, and Yami set down his chopsticks, getting up. It was Thursday morning, and he knew Kaiba was going to go in to Kaiba Corp. Which left Yami to decide what to do with his day. If Kaiba wasn't going to give him a job to do to pay him back, he would need to find something to do on his own.

Annie came to his mind. He'd rather left her hanging. The thought of going back to work for her wasn't the most pleasing, considering it was where he worked before everything had happened, but it also was appealing because not only did he like Annie a great deal, it would be best to return to his life. Eventually death would catch up with him as well and he'd be reunited with his friends on the other side. Until then, he'd need to honor them, and his gods, by going on with life as well as he could.

So he went to the front door to put on his boots and left the mansion, walking down the long front drive to the street. From there he headed into Domino, but not to Annie's. Instead, he headed to its outer eastern limits, to where the east cemetery resided. Passing through the gate, he walked along the path to the final resting places of Yugi and Joey.

The graves had been filled in, the fresh earth slowly settling. On the corner of each headstone, left on Yugi's, right on Joey's, there was a white resin vase built into the base of the stone. In each vase were bouquets of flowers, just beginning to wilt. Yami had placed them himself two days ago, when he'd visited for the first time since the funerals.

Yami stood silently in front of the graves for over an hour, praying for their souls to his gods, and to the spirits of Yugi and Joey's ancestors, which was their way of doing things. Eventually he turned and left the graveyard, feeling a bit better. From the graveyard gate he walked southwest to Annie's art shop.

Annie was behind the counter when he went in, wearing a turquoise, form-fitting shirt that stopped midway down her thigh, black stretch pants, knee-high turquoise boots, her black pendant, and silver hoop earrings. Her hair was hanging loose down her shoulders, but tucked behind her ears. Yami smiled slightly at the sight of her; she was a good friend.

Annie looked up as the door chimes jingled. Her green eyes focused on him and she paused for a moment. Yami stared back at her, wondering if she was going to be angry with him for neither coming in nor calling. But he should have worried. A bright smile stretched Annie's face and she came flying around the counter, running over to him like she had to hurry, and threw her arms around him.

"Yami! Oh, honey, how have you been? I've missed you."

"Yes. Sorry about that, Annie, taking off."

"Nonsense, no sorry about it. You're here now, aren't you?"

Typical Annie. She forgave anything. She was smiling and hugging him sideways with just one arm now, rubbing his bicep. She squeezed and let go, walking back over to the counter.

"You here to get your job back?"

"If...you'll let me."

Annie smiled up at him again, going back to what she'd been doing when he walked in; she was setting up a counter display of colored pencils. "Of course I will. I'd be happy to have you back. Your shifts have been going to me and I say I'd rather pay a young man like you than keep the money and work myself. I'm getting too old for it."

Yami smiled a little, both amused and guilty. Annie was only in her mid-forties. Hardly old.

"Well? Come on, if you're going to start working for me again." She continued to smile. "It's only a quarter after ten. Did you want to start today, or wait until Monday?"

Yami hesitated, then walked around the counter. Annie turned over the cashier till to him and went out into the shop to make sure everything was still neat and clean. Scatter-brained she might be, but she knew how to run a shop.

"Oh, I can't believe it's the last day of June already," she sighed while rearranging some art magazines a patron had placed back incorrectly. "Time just keeps marching onward."

Yami lowered his gaze to the glass top of the counter. "Yes, it does."

Annie turned around. She had an unusually shrewd look on her face when Yami looked up. "I occasionally sneak peeks at the newspaper," she confessed. Yami knew she generally abhorred newspapers and news stations on TV. As she'd told him, the near-constant death and mayhem that characterized the news got her down. "I saw the article about Yugi and Joey. I'm sorry for your losses, Yami."

Yami swallowed and nodded his head. "Thank you."

"If you don't want to work today--"

"I'd rather," Yami cut in. "It's...I need something to do."

She nodded in understanding, then turned away. From then to five Yami sold paints, clays, and art. It was exactly like it had always been, and that did help. Annie was still her usual self; nice, ditzy, and energetic. She was a great boss and a friend and he was glad he'd made his decision to come back here. Life was not going to be all right for a long time. As holidays and such came up he would miss his aibou and Joey terribly, but they had been dead already sixteen days. As Annie had said; time marched onward. And he still had Kaiba.

Kaiba got home around six-thirty, and the pair of them ate dinner in the dining room. After dinner, Kaiba went upstairs and Yami settled in the living room, watching a little TV. He quickly got bored, as he was never one to enjoy most modern entertainment. He flipped off the TV, then glanced up at the ceiling. Getting up from the couch, he headed up the stairs to the second floor, where Kaiba's home office was. Sure enough, Kaiba was sitting behind his desk, on his computer. He looked up when Yami walked in.

"Didn't you just come home from work?" Yami asked.

Kaiba frowned slightly, watching as Yami walked around the desk to stand beside his chair. On the computer was a bunch of numbers and graphs that meant nothing to Yami.

"You're doing better," Kaiba said, taking his hands off the keyboard.

"I went back to work for Annie. It seemed like the best thing to do." Kaiba nodded. Yami smiled, reaching out to pat Kaiba on the shoulder. "I am doing better. Thanks to you."

Kaiba looked back at his computer screen, uncomfortable. Yami reached out with his other hand and cupped Kaiba's chin, tipping his head back. Kaiba looked up at him. Yami bent down, and kissed Kaiba. He darted his tongue against his lips, and Kaiba opened his mouth. Yami moved, sliding between Kaiba's legs before settling down in his lap. Kaiba growled, his arms slowly winding around Yami's waist. His tongue curled around Yami's, taking over the kiss. Yami shifted in his lap, smiling inwardly as he felt a growing bulge forming against his thigh.

The phone rang. Yami started to pull away, expecting Kaiba would want to answer it, but Kaiba's arms tightened on him and held him still. His tongue swiped against Yami's, firmly telling him to remain put. Yami groaned, sinking the fingers of one hand into Kaiba's hair, trailing the other over his chest through his clothes. The phone rang another three times, ignored by the both of them, though Yami briefly wondered why a staff member wasn't picking up, like was normal.

Kaiba's office had an answering machine, in case the phone call went through and he was busy. It clicked on, a professional woman's voice announcing that the caller had been missed and for them to leave their name, number, and a message for Kaiba. After this announcement and a subsequent beep, a man's voice came on.

"I was hoping you'd pick up, Mr. Kaiba," he said. "This is the coroner's office."

Yami was only half-listening, his attention mostly taken up with Kaiba's mouth and one of his hands inching up under his shirt. Still, the words penetrated the haze of lust.

"I know you paid me for doctoring the records, but the cops are all over me. I don't know how much longer I can keep up this lie. Come in to my office tomorrow after hours and I'll give you back your money, but I can't..."

Yami paused. He felt that Kaiba had also gone very still. Suddenly Kaiba started to push him off, to pick up the phone on the desk, but Yami grabbed his wrist. The coroner went on.

"...can't lie anymore about Moto and Wheeler."

tbc…


	94. Chapter 94

Chapter Ninety-Four:

Seto looked up into Yami's face. Yami was as still as stone, his hand cramped around Seto's wrist, his eyes on the answering machine. The damn fool of a coroner was still going on. Seto tried to push Yami off his lap so he could grab the phone before more was said, but the hand Yami had in his hair tightened painfully and Yami leaned his weight against his shove, his eyes still fixed on the machine.

"I'm not going to go to jail," the coroner said. His voice was annoyingly whiny. "I don't know why the detectives saw through the lie, but they did. You can have your money back. But the records get changed. I'll just say I did some more research, changed my mind, but it's not a double-murder and you know it and so do they. Call me back."

The phone finally clicked off and the answering machine stopped recording. Seto briefly closed his eyes. What a moron that coroner was. What sort of idiot didn't know you didn't ramble on about illegal activities on the phone, let alone an answering machine? But more pressing than that was the fact that Yami had clearly heard every word.

When Seto opened his eyes, Yami was staring at him. His eyes were wide. His fingers were still locked around Seto's wrist, and were beginning to tighten like a vise.

"Not a double-murder?" Yami whispered.

"Yami--"

"What was it, if it wasn't murder?"

"Yami, I'm--"

"WHAT WAS IT?!"

Seto hesitated, then sighed. "Murder-suicide. One of them killed the other, and then himself."

Yami's mouth opened, but nothing came out. He stared at Seto in horror and disbelief, but the longer he looked at him, the more the disbelief began to be replaced by a terrible kind of knowledge.

"The coroner knew. And you paid him...for what? To tell the cops Sentoryou had killed them?"

"I never said Sentoryou did anything," Seto protested. "You came up with that yourself."

Yami slid off his lap. Seto remained seated for the moment, his wrist finally turned loose, and watched Yami warily. He was standing in front of him, visibly trembling, though whether with anger or sadness or both, Seto wasn't sure. He sighed again and started to get up.

"Listen, Yami--"

"Don't touch me," Yami said softly. He was looking at Seto like he'd never seen him before. "You lied to me."

"I lied because--"

"What reason could you possibly have to lie to me about the deaths of my friends?!"

"I was just about to tell you," Seto said, struggling to keep his temper. Yami had a right to be angry.

Yami shook his head. Then he turned and left the office.

Seto growled and settled back into his office chair. The shit that happened and kept happening...it was like there were curses on him and Yami. Knowing from experience, that was possible.

At first Seto thought Yami had holed himself up in his room again, but when he finally left his office and went upstairs, he saw that Yami's bedroom door was open. Going over to it, he peered inside, but didn't see him anywhere. The bathroom door, too, was ajar. Deciding he wasn't to be found in his suite, Seto turned and headed downstairs.

"Has Yami left?" Seto asked his guardhouse over the intercom.

"Yes, sir. About twenty minutes ago, sir."

Seto glanced at the grandfather clock across the entrance hall. It was ten til nine. Dusk would fall in about forty minutes, but he doubted that Yami was going to come back that night. He'd just received another major shock, perhaps the worst he'd yet had. No doubt the fact that Seto had lied to him had not helped matters. He didn't know that Seto had done it with good intentions. When he got back, Seto would sit him down and make him listen to him.

Even when he did, there was no guarantee things would be the same between them.

Yami did not come back that night. Seto had no idea where he'd spent the night, but when he got up, Yami's bedroom was still empty.

Seto headed to the coroner's office first light. The man had said to come after hours, but Seto was not in the mood to accomodate him. The coroner's office was supposed to be open from eight am to nine pm, but when Seto arrived at a quarter past seven, the fat, balding medical examiner was there. Seto brushed past the irate secretary and barged into the coroner's office. He slammed the door shut on the protesting woman and faced down the man.

Like most people, the medical examiner was clearly afraid of him. He jumped out of his chair and made sure that the desk stood between him and Seto.

"M-Mr. Kaiba," he stammered. "You're...early."

"What was the meaning of putting that message on my machine?" Seto demanded.

"I-I told you. The police are all over this. They don't believe me for a second."

"Then you're a terrible liar," Seto growled.

"You can have your money back," the man wheedled. It was obvious he thought Seto was going to hit him. "With interest, even, if you want."

Seto was too pissed off to be amused by the man's ridiculous cowardliness. He advanced to the very edge of the desk, watching with disgust as the man backed up on the other side until his back was stopped by the shelves behind him. An ugly model of a human skull half bare bone and half covered with layers of muscle rattled on the grey metal surface. A single eyeball stared, perpetually wide with fright, from the muscled side.

"I don't care about the money," Seto said. "I care about the fact you're going back on our agreement. I paid you that money for a reason and I don't like it when people go back on their word."

"Didn't you hear me? The police know it was a lie! They're not stupid, Kaiba. There was zero evidence, zip, that it was homicide. And no motive for someone to go running into a home and shoot two of the most famous kids in the head. Nothing was stolen, no evidence of forced entry, no evidence of the two trying to fight back or run away. Nothing but two bloodstains, two empty casings, and a single handgun."

Seto frowned. It was true, he hadn't thought to try and make it look like a double-murder. Even if he had, there would have been no opportunity to alter the crime scene, with the cops crawling all over it. It was no wonder they were suspicious of the medical examiner's ruling.

"I know why you did it," the coroner said, his voice more gentle now. "But it's not going to work. I have to change it back. I have to."

"Which one pulled the trigger?" Seto asked.

The coroner hesitated, looking up at him like he was expecting some sort of trap being laid. Finally he nodded his head and came back from the shelves.

"Joseph Wheeler shot Yugi Moto, and then himself."

When Seto returned to the mansion, it was half past eleven. He'd spent all morning delaying the inevitable by cruising the streets randomly and getting some breakfast at a favorite restaurant. He could have gone into Kaiba Corp, but he knew if he did that he'd get caught up in work and go all day without talking to Yami. He knew, as unpleasant as that was going to be and as much as he didn't want to do it, he had to. Yami deserved the truth.

Yami, however, was not at the mansion. Seto considered going out and looking for him, but he'd have less chance finding one person in the city of Domino as he would finding a specific seashell on the beach. Particularly when that person wouldn't want to be found.

It was dinnertime, nearing six-thirty, when Yami finally returned. Seto had asked to be informed when he arrived and the guard paged him as instructed. Seto waited until it seemed like Yami had had enough time to make it up to his bedroom before leaving his office and heading upstairs. He found Yami sitting on the edge of his bed, his clothing rumpled from having been worn two days, his eyes fixed on some point non-existant in their world. Seto hesitated, before finally walking inside and sitting down next to him on the mattress. He was silent, rather than launching right into it, as he normally would have done.

It was Yami who spoke first.

"Who did it?" he asked. His voice was hoarse and nearly a whisper.

"Yami, you don't need to know that."

"Who?"

Seto sucked in a breath, then blew it out. "Wheeler."

Yami's eyes closed. He sat that way for a long time, before finally opening them again and resuming staring at the carpet. Seto could see he was struggling not to cry. His bottom lip was quivering a little, but he was determined not to give in. Seto wasn't sure why. He'd seen him cry before. He almost wished he would. This attempt at stoicism was somehow worse.

"He couldn't handle it," Yami said. "Yugi getting HIV."

"Seemed like it was Yugi's choice."

Yami nodded, bit his lip like he was trying to stop it trembling. "Yes. But Joey blamed himself for getting sick in the first place."

That, Seto couldn't argue with. Yami remained sitting bolt-upright beside him, looking at the same spot on the floor. Seto let him have silence for a little while, before he spoke again. He had to search for the words. Comforting someone was not his forte.

"Yami, I know it's a horrible thing to have happened. But...it did happen."

"Why did you have the coroner say it was murder?"

Seto turned his head to look at him, even though Yami did not look back. He shook his head, struggling not to point out that he'd been about to tell him that last night before he'd run out. He looked away again.

"You didn't need to know that stuff. I paid the coroner to change it to double-murder so that you wouldn't know."

Silence.

"But the police didn't buy it and the damn fool got scared."

Yami got up and went to the window. Seto didn't follow, just sat on the edge of the bed and watched his back as he looked out over the back gardens. He was beginning to think Yami was going to descend once again into his depression. This time he might not make it back out. And if that was so, there would be nothing Seto could do about it.

"Yami, I just wanted to--"

"Mr. Kaiba?"

Seto looked up. A pale-faced maid had poked her head into the room, holding the handset of a phone, one hand over the mouthpiece.

"I'm not accepting any calls," Seto said tersely.

"Sir, it's Master Mokuba. Lady Marianne has gone into labor."

Seto felt shock roll through him. The statement seemed so out of place that for a moment he didn't react, sure that he had heard wrong. Then he got up and went over to the maid, snatching the phone out of her hand. Marianne was in labor? She was a month early. While it could have been worse, with four weeks of development denied, the baby would have weak lungs. What could have brought on the delivery so early?

"Big Brother!" Mokuba's voice yelled right in his ear when he answered the phone. Seto had not heard him so stressed in a long time. "Did you hear? Marianne's in labor. She started early this morning. They've already got her in the delivery room. Can you make it?"

"Of course. What happened?"

"Don't know. She just woke up around four yesterday morning with some pains. She didn't actually wake me until six."

"Yesterday morning?"

"We thought it might be false labor, since it's so early. But when the contractions started coming regularly, we got her to the hospital. She's just been lying in bed since eight yesterday morning…hurting. We wanted to make sure it was the real thing. It's real all right."

"Calm down, Mokuba. Let the doctors handle it. I'll be there as soon as I can."

Mokuba said goodbye and hung up. Seto handed the phone back to the maid, then turned and looked at Yami. He hadn't moved from the window. Seto didn't move either.

"You'd better go," Yami said. "Sounds like trouble."

Seto hesitated another moment. He didn't want to leave Yami the way he was. "Come with me."

"No."

It was said without rancor or any emotion at all. Seto cursed, but finally left the room. He went down to his own suite, grabbed a suitcase, packed a change of clothes, a pair of pajamas, and his toiletries. After a moment, he added the gift he'd had made specifically for the baby. The only thing he could think of that wouldn't be copied a hundred times over by the friends and relatives of the mother. Once it was all packed, he called down for the Learjet to prepped for departure at the Domino Airport. He need something faster than his helicopter, and his Blue Eyes would draw too much attention to his arrival in England.

Once all of that was accomplished he had his driver take him out to the airport and he boarded the jet to be flown to England. It took several long hours. Hours which Seto was shifting anxiously in his seat. Before, the news of the baby hadn't meant that much to Seto. Yes, he'd wondered what it would be like to be an uncle and was glad for his brother, but it hadn't meant much. Now that the day had arrived, and arrived early, he realized that it did indeed mean something. Seto could be cold and ruthless, but if there was anything that he cared about, it was family. What little family he had. Family that was set to grow.

If there were no problems first.

He arrived at the Cambridge airport and disembarked. From there he got a cab and headed out to the airport. He still had his luggage and he was still going to have it in the hospital room. If someone didn't like that, tough.

The hospital was not a very busy one, despite the size of the city. Seto was directed to the appropriate waiting room and he had only been sitting there ten minutes when Mokuba came to find him. Mokuba hugged him fiercely, and it was clear to Seto he was nervous to the point of near hysteria, which he was just keeping in check.

"How is she doing?" Seto asked.

"I don't know," Mokuba admitted. "She's in a lot of pain. The doctor's trying to ease it and the nurse is trying to encourage her and she's not even close to having him yet. I think she's a lot more scared than she's letting on."

"Of course she is," Seto said. "It's her first child."

"Yeah." Mokuba sucked in a breath and sat down. Seto sat down in his own chair and watched him. "Her dad's getting her some ice chips to put in her mouth and her mother's in there with her. They've been here since about five minutes after we got here."

Seto nodded. "It'll be okay, Mokuba."

"Yeah. But I can't help think about Mom."

Seto frowned and looked out the window. Mokuba had no memories of their mother, but Seto still had a few, having been five when Mokuba was born. She had been a pretty woman, a nice woman. The woman from whom Seto got his blue eyes. That had been a bad night, certainly the worst in Seto's life. Compiled because their father had died only a few years later, leaving Seto and Mokuba at the mercy of the state and then at the hands of Gozaburo Kaiba.

"It won't happen that way," Seto said with conviction he didn't feel, turning back to his brother. "Marianne will pull through and then you'll have a squalling baby boy to keep you busy."

Mokuba managed a faint smile. Then he abruptly changed the subject.

"I heard on the international news, about Yugi and Joey."

"Yeah. Couple weeks ago."

"Did they ever catch who did it?"

Seto decided he might as well tell him, but not today. The coroner was going to change the report and then there was nothing to stop the vultures and bloodsuckers in the media from gleefully reporting the tragedy. But Seto would tell him later, rather than put that on his mind while his wife was bearing his son.

"No."

"Yami must be out of his mind. I bet he's been looking for the person that did it, hasn't he? Have you seen him recently?"

"He's been staying with me." Seto realized he hadn't told Mokuba that fact yet. "Since his apartment is a crime scene. And he didn't want to move back in there."

"Oh. Well, that's nice of you, Seto."

He'd said the same thing that Tea had said, but unlike her, he didn't have the obvious surprise in his voice. Mokuba could be surprised when Seto chose to do things for other people, but unlike the rest of the world, he knew he was capable of doing it before he did it. Mokuba had always believed in him.

"Mr. Kaiba?"

They looked up. It was a nurse.

"Marianne's fully dilated. The baby is coming. If you want to be present, you must come now. Otherwise, the room will be closed off."

Mokuba jumped to his feet. Seto urged him to go and watched as he hurried through the door to the maternity rooms, followed quickly by the nurse. Seto was joined only a minute later by Mr. Coltrane.

"Well, I thought I'd come out here and sit with you," he said. "Birthing is a woman's experience and the father is the only man that should be in the room, besides the doctor."

Seto nodded, understanding the man's point. "How is she doing?"

"As well as can be expected, though she is concerned Hideaki is early. As well she should be, but the doctor is not as concerned. When he is concerned, then I will be. At least, more so than I am."

Seto could understand that as well. Marianne's father was a man a lot like him. Calm, pragmatic. He wouldn't get upset until there was a concrete reason to get upset.

The two of them sat in the waiting room for less than a half hour. Once the actual birthing started, it went quickly. Seto's flight had taken up nearly all of Marianne's labor and he'd arrived just in time. The timing couldn't have been better and it was a good thing he took the jet rather than the helicopter.

A nurse came to tell them that the birth had been a success and that Marianne was resting. Hideaki had been taken to be cleaned up and checked thanks to his early delivery, but the nurse promised them he'd been born squalling like normal infants.

"Thank God," Mr. Coltrane said. It was the only sign he'd given that he'd been worried.

Mokuba came out not long after. Marianne had gone to sleep, exhausted from her ordeal, and her mother remained with her. He smiled at Seto, but there was still a shadow of concern in his eyes. He wouldn't relax until Hideaki had been given a clean bill of health by the doctor. The three men sat and talked awhile, until the doctor came to them.

"I've checked both Hideaki and Marianne. Marianne's tired, but she's just fine. She'll need a day or so to recover, and we'll go over what she can and can't do in the coming weeks. As for Hideaki, I'd like to keep him for a few days, keep him under observation, but other than being a bit on the small side--which is to be expected--I think he's just fine. He's giving the maternity nurse quite an earful."

Mokuba smiled, beyond relieved. He stood up, shook the doctor's hand, then looked at Seto and Mr. Coltrane, seeming a little dazed.

"I have a son."

Mr. Coltrane laughed heartily, getting to his feet. He reached out and shook Mokuba's hand, patting his shoulder with the other. "Yes, you do, son. Yes, you do."

Seto smiled, getting to his feet as well. Mokuba repeated his statement again, grinning from ear to ear.

"And you'll be a good father," Seto said.

"Hear, hear," Mr. Coltrane agreed. "Right. A fine father indeed, my boy. My Marianne couldn't have chosen a better man in all of England, or the world!"

Mokuba looked surprised and embarrassed by this pronouncement. Mr. Coltrane left to speak to his wife. Mokuba looked up at Seto.

"I guess you'll be wanting to get some rest after that long flight."

"I'm fine."

"Something to eat?"

"I'm--" Seto hesitated and then changed his mind. "I guess I'd better get my luggage over to your house. I'll at least stay the night, if you'll have me."

Mokuba gave him a look, then gave him his keys, telling him which was for the house and which was for the car. Seto drove out to the English mansion and was shown a guest room by the matronly, and super-efficient, head maid. He put away his change of clothes, then ate what the maid made for him, and waited for news from the hospital.

Mokuba came home, dropped off by the Coltranes, around six. He was bursting with the good news that Hideaki was still doing very well. He and Marianne each got a turn at holding him before the maternity nurse took him back to the nursery.

"He is little," Mokuba said. "But he's so strong, Seto. He held onto my finger like a vise."

"Good. He'll be fine, Mokuba. You'll be bringing him home before you know it."

Seto had not forgotten about Yami, but his place was here with his family for now.

Marianne came home the next day. Though still pale and very sore, she was overflowing with happiness. Her baby shower, which Seto had not attended, had been held on the twenty-fifth. She had received most of her gifts then, which included a 'baby's firsts' book. Upon arriving at the house, she asked Mokuba to get it for her and sat down on the couch, setting the book on her lap, as bending forward to use the coffee table was beyond her at the moment.

"Hideaki Kaiba," she said as she wrote. "Born July the first, two-thousand and four at eleven fifty-two am."

After thirty-one hours of labor. Seto had some new respect for Marianne.

Hideaki came home the next day, much earlier than Seto had expected. Mokuba and Marianne were instructed with keeping Hideaki wrapped in thin blankets at all times, as he didn't have much body fat being a premature. Despite the thinness of his body, he didn't appear to have any complications at all. His innate reflexes were strong and his lungs and heart didn't appear to have any defects. So he came home to his parents only forty-nine hours after being born.

Hideaki already had a shock of hair the exact same shade of auburn as Marianne's. When he opened his eyes, Seto saw that they were nearly the same shade as Mokuba's, though slightly lighter. His gaze was unfocused, but his brow knit in confusion and attention whenever one of the adults spoke.

"See?" Mokuba said proudly, when Hideaki latched onto his index finger. "Strong."

"He's a Kaiba," Marianne said affectionately, sneaking a kiss from her husband. "And a Coltrane."

"He's a darling," Mrs. Coltrane said. She took her turn holding him, cupping his head with utmost care. She clearly knew what she was doing. "Sweet little thing."

She gently bounced him in her arms, crooning an old English lullaby, before turning to Seto. "Would you like to hold him?"

Seto was surprised. He hedged, uncertain. That seemed like an awful small person to him.

"Go on, it'll be okay," Marianne said.

"Come on. Support his head. Lay his body along your arm. There you go."

Mrs. Coltrane passed Hideaki on to Seto, who held him awkwardly. Never before had he held anything that made him more nervous. But as Hideaki rested contently on his arm and looked up at him vaguely with his grey/blue eyes, Seto began to warm to it. So this was his nephew. Was this what it was like to be an uncle? It wasn't so bad.

Soon enough Seto gave Hideaki back to his mother. Marianne rocked him, singing another lullaby. Hideaki was asleep within a minute, displaying the childish ability to nod off at the drop of a hat. Seto turned to the armchair facing away from the bay window and pulled his gift bag out from between the chair and wall, where it had been hidden.

"What's this?" Marianne asked.

Seto had missed Marianne's baby shower. Now he presented her with the gift he'd gotten for the baby. Mokuba opened it since Marianne was holding Hideaki, and brought out the toy. Seto had made a sacrifice for it, but it was all he could think of.

"A plush Blue-Eyes!" Mokuba exclaimed.

Seto had loathed Pegasus' dishonor of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon by turning it into a chibi-cartoon. Now he'd done that same thing himself by custom-ordering a Blue-Eyes Dragon plush toy. The Dragon was about two feet long, stuffed, with a more gentle expression in the eyes--which featured pupils unlike the real Dragons--but still had the rows of triangular teeth. The mouth had just been curved into a smile.

"Oh, how cute," Marianne exclaimed and Seto knew she wasn't just saying so. "Hideaki will love him."

Mokuba met Seto's eyes. He knew what Seto had thought of Pegasus' creation and he was surprised and flattered that Seto had swallowed his distaste and made a plush Dragon for Hideaki.

"I'm sure he will," Mokuba said. "Thanks, Big Brother."

Seto stayed one more day. He'd merely washed his clothes every day and alternated them, returning to Domino in the extra set he'd brought in the suitcase. Mokuba, Marianne, and Hideaki were all safe in Cambridge and there was little Seto could do to help, so he returned home.

Upon entering the mansion, he went upstairs to find Yami. He'd left him alone for four days and he was worried about what he'd done to himself in the interim. He'd called twice to have his staff check on him, but both times had been reported that they couldn't find him.

Seto saw that Yami's bedroom door was ajar. He knocked and pushed it open, opening his mouth to let him know he was home.

Yami's bedroom was empty. Seto stepped inside, seeing that he was not in the bathroom. He also noticed that one of the bureau's drawers and the closet door were both open. They were empty.

Yami had left.

tbc…


	95. Chapter 95

Chapter Ninety-Five:

Seto stared at the empty bureau for a long moment before sighing and leaving the room. Yami hadn't been able to handle it, his lie. He was angry with him, or at least felt betrayed. And so he'd left. Seto was a trifled pissed. If he'd been allowed to explain why he'd done it, maybe Yami wouldn't have felt that way. But he hadn't given him the chance, and then Hideaki's birth had come along. He'd been reluctant to leave Yami, especially in the condition he'd been in, and now wished he'd forced Yami to come with him, but family took precedence in this case. After all the things Mokuba had stayed by his side through, especially when it came to Noah, he'd needed to be there for the biggest things in his life.

Still, what would he do now? Yami had up and left on a whim. As much as Seto was loathe to admit affection for anyone besides Mokuba, he knew he loved the fool, and he didn't like the idea of him wandering around homeless. If Yami had been of his right mind, Seto wouldn't have been as concerned. Yami was smart and brave, and there wasn't much that could overcome him. But in his current lost state, he was more of a danger to himself than anyone else.

Seto supposed Yami could have decided to make his way to any of his surviving friends' homes. Duke and Tea were both in America and Tristan was in the much closer, but far less friendly China if Seto's memory served. Joey's sister Serenity was in America, too. And Mai...well, he didn't know where Mai was, but Yami probably did. Not a one of them would hesitate at taking Yami in. The only thing about that idea was whether Yami would even go to one of their houses. Or if he'd make it.

In the end, Seto didn't do anything. He could have used his resources to send people out searching for him, but didn't. Not only would it cost money to do so, and likely result in nothing gained as Yami would be hard, if not impossible, to track down given his non-existence in the legal sense, but Yami had walked out on him. If that was his decision, then so be it.

Four days passed and Seto didn't hear anything from any of Yami's friends about him showing up on their doorstep. Tea, Serenity, and Tristan had all called once. The coroner had changed the cause of death like he'd said he would, and the police had released the final verdict about Yugi and Joey's deaths July fifth, the day after Seto returned to Domino. The shocking report had made the paper as well as the local and international news shows. Tea and Serenity were both hysterical, demanding Seto tell them it wasn't true. He told them both he hadn't been there. When they'd both asked to talk to Yami, Seto hadn't told them he'd taken off. Instead he'd lied and told them Yami didn't want to talk to anybody, but reluctantly promised he'd relay that they'd called.

On July 9th, Seto woke in the middle of the night. Someone was lying in bed with him. Frowning, Seto rolled over and turned on his lamp, looking over his shoulder.

Yami was lying on his side next to him, one arm tucked under his head and the other fist under his chin, watching him intently. Seto blinked, surprised, then glowered.

"What are you doing here?"

Yami didn't look taken aback by the cold welcome. He didn't answer either. Seto narrowed his eyes.

"Where have you been all this time?"

"I stayed with Annie. I needed to think, about everything. Finding out about Joey and Aibou..." Yami trailed off and looked away. "However, I could not let what I said to you be the last thing between us." He looked back up at Seto. "For all you've done for me, you deserved better. So I came back."

Seto glared. "And I'd just let you, is that it?"

Yami didn't say anything. Seto had thought Yami expected him to, but then he saw the way he was looking at him. There was no trace of his usual self-confidence. He was waiting for Seto to make his decision, and he didn't have any idea what that was going to be. There was no certainty and a fair amount of apprehension. He realized how he'd acted, beyond the grace of his losses. But he'd come back.

Seto reached down and grabbed both of Yami's wrists, roughly yanking his arms up, ignoring the fact he dragged him half across the mattress. He studied his skin, his hands. There were no cuts, no bruises. Only the faint white scars on his right hand from the roses.

Seto looked from his hands to his face. Yami, now lying awkwardly at an angle, was looking back at him solemnly, waiting. Seto dropped his hands, then grunted. Yami slowly turned over, getting up on his knees. He settled on his heels, his hands resting on his thighs, and looked at Seto silently. Then he slowly leaned forward, bracing himself against the mattress with one hand. Seto grabbed his shoulders, stopping him in mid-movement.

"I'm sorry," Yami said softly. "I--"

"Go sleep in your own bed," Seto interrupted.

Yami stared at him, then smiled. "My possessions are still at Annie's. I didn't know... But I had to try."

"You've been a lot of headache."

"I know."

"Where's your head?"

Yami smiled again. Seto glared at him, then rolled over and turned out the light again. Yami settled down beside him, despite what he'd said. Seto didn't kick him out.

Seto woke the next morning, fully expecting Yami to be cuddled with him. Instead, Yami was well on his side of the bed, curled up beneath the covers. Seto lay and watched him sleep a moment, wondering if he was doing the right thing taking him back. He didn't want to deal with another breakdown if Yami had one. But he did know he wasn't going to change his mind.

Seto got out of bed and took a shower before heading down to breakfast. He was still contemplating Yami's return when Yami came down to breakfast. He was wearing the same clothes he'd had on the day before, as he'd left his things with Annie, not sure if Seto would allow him to stay. That had been one reason why Seto had let him; his uncertainty. If there had ever been anything that Seto hated about Yami, it was his belief that he knew what Seto was going to do.

Yami settled down at the table across from him, picking up the chopsticks that had been laid out for him and serving himself. Seto unfolded the paper and started reading it. After a bit, he realized Yami was staring at the paper upside-down. He knew why. Though after four days it was no longer front page news, page six held a large article about Yugi and Joey. The first day the articles had been run, it had only been about the facts. Now the pieces were about the possible theories behind Joey's actions, people who had 'known' them getting their fifteen minutes of fame, and even a small insert from Tea, who had called all the reporters hateful misery-mongers and emphatically swore she didn't believe a word of what the medical examiner had to say.

Yami's eyes were on the page, which had photos of Yugi and Joey, as well as a headline proclaiming the populace of Domino still shocked by their deaths. Seto watched Yami for a long moment, waiting to see how he would react.

Yami reached across the table and took the section of the paper. As Seto watched, he rolled it up into a tight scroll, then idly passed the end of the scroll through the flame of one of the two candles. The paper caught fire and Yami watched it burn in his hand for a moment before getting up from the table and disappearing through the door leading into the kitchen. He returned a moment later, sans burnt paper, and settled back at the table. His eyes briefly flicked up to Seto's before he went back to eating.

Seto returned to his own breakfast, knowing that Yami was trying to show him he was ready to live.

Four And A Half Years Later:

Yami stepped through the doorway from the entrance hall into the living room of the Kaiba manor. He smiled in greeting to Kaiba, who was sitting on the couch, surrounded by gift bags, tissue paper, and wrapping paper. He was twenty-eight that day. It was October 25th, and Mokuba, Marianne, and Hideaki had arrived the previous day to celebrate it.

Hideaki was four and an energetic, talkative child. Despite his early delivery, he was as healthy as any child his age. It was clear he favored his father in his looks, with long hair and wide eyes, but with his mother's auburn coloring.

Hideaki grabbed the last box on the table and hurried to jump up onto the couch beside Kaiba, putting the package on his lap.

"Here, Uncle Seto! Open this one!"

"Thanks, Hideaki."

"Hi, Yami!"

The kid forgot the gift and hopped off the couch. He ran around the coffee table, zipped between his parents' armchairs, and hit Yami full-on. Wrapping his arms around Yami's waist, he hugged him with all the enthusiasm of a cheerful child.

"Hello, Hideaki."

Marianne and Mokuba leaned around their chairs. Marianne smiled brightly at Yami, and Mokuba waved.

"Hello, everyone."

"Yami, it's Uncle Seto's birthday!" Hideaki said happily. Like a child, he figured Yami didn't know that unless he was told. "You missed all the presents."

"Oh. Well, I'm sure he'll show me what you got him."

Hideaki took Yami's hand and pulled, dragging him over to the couch. He made him sit, then scrambled up between him and Kaiba, tapping the unopened box.

"Come on, open it, Uncle Seto!"

Kaiba patiently opened the box. He'd proven to be a good uncle. Hideaki seemed to bring out all the good in Kaiba, and it was clear he loved his nephew. Hideaki absolutely adored his uncle.

Kaiba pulled out a black knit sweater that had a white collar and white bands around the forearms.

"I picked that out!" Hideaki said proudly. "Put it on, Uncle Seto!"

"Hideaki, what do we say?" Marianne admonished.

"Pleeeease?"

Kaiba looked down at Hideaki and a half-smile ticked his mouth. He slid his trench coat off, then pulled the sweater on over his black turtleneck. The sweater seemed to fit just perfectly and Hideaki beamed with pleasure. He stood up on the couch, hugged Kaiba around the neck, then hopped off and started begging Yami for some 'magic.'

In truth the magic was illusion. Yami had learned a few simple card tricks to keep the child amused and no matter how many times he showed him, Hideaki always wanted to see it again. Hideaki raced to get the stack of plain playing cards from where they were kept in the stand beside the door, then ran back. He never walked anywhere. Yami slid off the couch to kneel on the floor beside the table and started shuffling the cards, beginning the first trick.

Mokuba and Marianne were gathering up the debris from the present opening and stuffing it into the largest gift bag. Beside Kaiba on the couch was a small stack of gifts. Being one of the richest men in the world, he could have bought anything, so the gifts were knick knacks and games that Hideaki had chosen. Yami saw two board games that he knew Hideaki had at his house in Cambridge, and they were no doubt duplicates for Kaiba to keep here, so Hideaki could play them with him or Yami when he was visiting. There was a necktie for when Kaiba wore business suits--to Yami it looked like it was black with SK stitched in blue multiple times along the length. There was what looked like a small statue of the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, a thing which could be bought at the gift shop at any KaibaLand. No doubt Hideaki would have thought--with the innocence of a child--that Kaiba wouldn't know that fact and so he'd gotten him a real surprise.

"Show me the one with the princesses!" Hideaki said, pushing the cards back at Yami. One trick had a story to it while the cards were being dealt. "Please?" he added quickly with a glance at his mother.

"Very well." Yami picked up the cards, selected the thirteen cards that made up the trick, and set the rest of the deck aside. He began laying the selected cards down as he told the story. "There once was a king, who had four beautiful daughters who lived in two rooms. One day, four handsome princes came to visit, and they were placed in two more rooms." Yami set the King of Spades in the center of the table, around which he placed the four Queens and the four Jacks in four separate piles of two each. "Now, the king..."

Yami went on with the trick, which thrilled Hideaki as much as it always did. He begged for another one, then gleefully told Yami about his first month at school. He had inherited the same gene from his father's side that made his uncle a genius. Only four years old, he'd just attended his first month of first-grade classes, and could spell and read as well as any child twice his age.

"And Rupert was so jealous," he concluded. "He likes to pick on me, but I don't care. He's just jealous 'cause he's dumb!"

"Hideaki Kaiba, you don't call people dumb," Marianne reprimanded.

"But Mum, he is dumb!" Hideaki whined. "He's a big, dumb git."

"I'd lay off the backtalk," Kaiba said, getting to his feet. "Or some four-year-old around here might not get any birthday cake."

"Yay, cake!" Intelligent or not, Hideaki was a typical child. He jumped to his feet and zipped away to the dining room.

Yami got up and followed the Kaibas into the dining room, where Hideaki was already settled on his knees on one of the enormous chairs. Arms folded on the table, he was staring down a birthday cake like he was expecting it to try to escape. Yami settled down in a seat and waited, watching while Marianne lit twenty-eight blue-and-white birthday candles on the simple chocolate-cherry sheet cake. He knew that Kaiba would have been just as happy without a cake, but was going through the ritual for Hideaki's sake. Though, in order not to try Kaiba's patience too much, none of them sang 'Happy Birthday' to him. Instead, they watched while he blew out the candles in a single breath, earning a loud cheer from his nephew.

"What'd you wish for, Uncle Seto?"

"He can't tell you, kid," Mokuba said with a smile, directing Hideaki to sit down properly, propped up on a booster seat. "If he tells you his wish, it won't come true."

"Why not?"

"Uh..."

"Because wishes are special," Marianne said blithely, missing the look on Kaiba's face. "And it's just between the one making the wish and the Wish Fairy."

"Wish Fairy?" Hideaki said this with an unusual amount of skepticism for his age.

"Yes. A sweet little fairy with stardust in her hair and shoes made of moonbeams who grants wishes to all birthday boys and girls."

Kaiba's expression was becoming priceless. Yami was having a hard time keeping from laughing. Kaiba was clearly holding back from saying some derisive. As Hideaki rolled his eyes at his mother's description, Mokuba quickly began cutting up the cake with a knife and passing the plates around. Yami picked up his fork and took a bite of cake. Very tasty.

Mokuba, Marianne, and Hideaki stayed the rest of the afternoon, before heading for their flight back to Cambridge. To amuse his nephew, Kaiba had arranged for KaibaLand to be closed down and then allowed him to explore the whole section of the park designed for kids his age, which was a fairly sizeable one considering Kaiba had made the park for kids to begin with. At last however Mokuba and Marianne had to catch their flight and managed to pry a very reluctant Hideaki from Kaiba. Displaying a rare moment of a temper tantrum, the usually well-behaved Hideaki clung to Kaiba's leg like lichen on bark for a good five minutes before being talked, and threatened, by his parents into letting go.

"'Bye, Uncle Seto," Hideaki said miserably at the entrance gate to the park, where one of Kaiba Corp's limos was waiting to take the family to the airport. They were making a stop to visit Marianne's brother's family in Germany.

"Goodbye, Hideaki. Thank you for the sweater."

Kaiba was still wearing it. His mention of the gift Hideaki had been so proud of cheered him up some and he said goodbye to Yami with a wider smile. He hugged Kaiba one last time before darting to the limo ready to take them to the airport. Mokuba and Marianne said goodbye and the family left. Yami and Kaiba returned to the mansion.

Yami had been living with Kaiba since that day in July over four years ago. Kaiba had allowed him to stay with him, though he hadn't forgiven him right off the bat. For a while, though he'd let Yami live there, he'd been cold and distant to him. Yami had suspected that not only was Kaiba ticked off at Yami's behavior, but he'd been testing him. Yami wasn't surprised. He'd stayed, waiting until Kaiba had decided he'd proven he was ready to move on.

As he'd told him, he'd spent a lot of time thinking things through while staying with Annie. The news that Yugi and Joey had not been murdered by a third party, and that Kaiba had lied to him about it, had come as such a shock that he hadn't given Kaiba much time to explain himself. Compounded with the realization that Joey had committed murder-suicide had only further destroyed him. He'd had to get out, away from everything involving Yugi, Joey, and even Kaiba and just think. He'd packed up his meager possessions and shown up on Annie's doorstep, asking if he could stay with her a while. Being Annie, she'd not only readily agreed, but hadn't asked him why, either.

Almost immediately, once he'd told himself to block out all his emotions and think, he'd realized Kaiba's good intentions. He'd felt guilty for snapping at him like he had, and knew that he'd acted like a fool, and had been for a very long time. He wasn't as strong as he'd originally thought he was, not when it came to personal matters like these.

From that point on he'd agonized over returning to Kaiba. A large part of him felt sure Kaiba would refuse, and with good reason. Another part considered himself undeserving of returning. He'd been nothing but a burden to Kaiba for a long time. Yet still he'd wanted to go back. He loved Kaiba, and he knew it. And he felt he needed to apologize to him. Finally he'd worked up the courage and headed over there. Kaiba had accepted him back, if with reservations. Yami had strove to prove to Kaiba he was not lost and eventually he had.

Yami still ached for his friends, especially around July. But life did not stop, as even Annie had been wise enough to know, and he'd had to go on. But he couldn't do it alone.

"That sweater looks good on you," he said to Kaiba as they stepped inside their shared bedroom.

Kaiba gave him a look. Even after all this time, Yami still called him by his surname. Yami smiled.

"Hideaki was very pleased you put it on."

Kaiba nodded, then pulled the sweater up over his head. He folded it and set it in a dresser drawer.

"You're a very good uncle to him."

Kaiba sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. Sensing a mood change, Yami waited to see if he would say anything.

"When our parents died, they left me and Mokuba some money," Kaiba said. "Our relatives were in trust of it. They spent it all and threw us into the orphanage."

Yami moved over and climbed up onto the bed at Kaiba's back. Never had Kaiba talked about his past. Knowing things like this, Yami could see Kaiba's character all the better. He hated allowing anyone close to him because he'd lost nearly everyone he cared about at a very young age, and been betrayed by those he'd trusted. He strove to be the best of everything because he and Mokuba had had nothing as children. He was cold and ruthless because he'd needed to be, and it had stuck.

"Did you think you wouldn't be a good uncle to Hideaki?" Yami asked.

Kaiba growled, but Yami knew it was true. Yami smiled and moved, winding his arms around Kaiba's neck and hugging him from behind, resting his chin on his shoulder. He didn't tell Kaiba it was impossible for him to have been a bad uncle, that he was nothing like his relatives. Kaiba wouldn't appreciate it if he did.

After a minute, he pressed a kiss to the side of Kaiba's head and let him go. He started to hop off the bed, but Kaiba's arm around his waist stopped him. He turned his head, meeting Kaiba's intense blue gaze. Yami smiled, tilting his head and kissing Kaiba on the mouth. His lover quickly took over, slipping his tongue into his mouth and pulling him tightly against him. Yami moaned and allowed Kaiba to devour him, before pulling back and turning Kaiba away from him again. He reached down and tugged Kaiba's shirt out of his pants, pulling it up and off. Tossing it to the floor, he pulled Kaiba back against his chest.

"Happy Birthday," he murmured, before beginning to nibble lightly on Kaiba's ear.

Slowly running his tongue along the edge, he began tracing his fingers along Kaiba's torso, from his shoulders down his arms to his wrists before jumping over to run his hands along Kaiba's chest. He swirled his right index around Kaiba's nipple, before lightly pinching the nub. Kaiba growled, shifting a little as Yami skated his fingers along his skin. He abandoned his ear and went to his neck, kissing down the length of it while his fingers brushed along Kaiba's stomach. Stretching a bit, he slid his other hand along Kaiba's left thigh, briefly skritching his nails over the fabric of his pants.

Kaiba turned his head and caught his mouth in a kiss. Yami kissed him back, before leaning around him to begin undoing the fastenings to his pants. Kaiba took over, laying back to work his pants and boxers off, then kicking them to the floor. Yami smiled, taking up his original position, only this time working along the other side of Kaiba's neck. He glided his fingers along his skin, then reached down and wrapped one hand around his cock. Kaiba groaned and tilted his head back against his shoulder.

Yami nibbled his earlobe, slowly stroking him with his fingers. Kaiba shuddered, his eyes closing as he focused on what Yami was doing to him. Yami brushed his thumb over the tip and kissed Kaiba's ear, before shifting around to his front. He let go of his erection, reaching up to push him down onto his back, moving to straddle his legs. Bending down, he kissed Kaiba gently, flicking his tongue over his bottom lip before working his way southward. He ran his tongue over one of his nipples, then pulled it into his mouth and sucked while his hands ghosted over Kaiba's sides. Moving his hands down his arms, he briefly pinned his wrists to the mattress, skipping over his chest to toy with the second nipple, pulling it lightly with his lips before gently biting. Moving downwards, he rained kisses, licks, and nips along his stomach, tracing his bellybutton with his tongue. Letting go of Kaiba's wrists, he drew his nails lightly over Kaiba's thighs, before holding his hips and running his tongue over his cock.

Kaiba groaned again and arched a little, his hands tightening on the sheets. Yami traced his length with the tip of his tongue a few times before opening his mouth and slowly taking him down his throat. Kaiba's throat rumbled with another moan of pleasure, one hand leaving the sheets to cup the back of Yami's head. Humming in his throat, Yami began to suck him, bobbing his head up and down and skimming with his teeth. Kaiba hissed and Yami swirled his tongue, pulling up before slowly sliding back down. He opened his eyes and looked up, seeing that Kaiba had his head tilted downward, but his eyes were still closed. Content with the look of pleasure on his face, Yami increased his pace, moving one hand down between Kaiba's legs. Cradling his sac, he rubbed lightly with his fingers, hearing the increase in Kaiba's breathing. He was trembling a little now, and Yami rolled his tongue, pushing him closer to the edge.

Kaiba growled his name, his back arching up again. Yami sucked harder, teasing him with his teeth. He pulled up to the tip and dug the tip of his tongue into the slit, tasting the musky precum. Kaiba's eyes opened, slitted and dark, a faint red tint highlighting his cheeks. Yami smiled at him, then took him back down his throat, sucking and moving his head up and down quickly. Kaiba couldn't hold out anymore and he came with a loud groan, his fingers tightening in Yami's hair.

Swallowing, Yami lifted up, settling back on his haunches to catch his breath. Kaiba panted beneath him, eyes closed again. Yami moved, standing up on his knees while he reached for his shirt. He pulled it up over his head and let it drop, seeing that Kaiba was now looking at him.

Smiling, Yami laid down to get his pants and underwear off, tossing them off the bed to join Kaiba's clothes. Getting back up, he moved to lay down on Kaiba, kissing his neck and running his hand over his chest. Kaiba's arms back up around him, before he suddenly flipped them over. Pressed into the mattress, Yami met Kaiba's kiss, opening his mouth. Kaiba's tongue slid against his, his hands in his hair, holding his head. Kaiba kissed him until he was desperate for air, panting when he finally pulled back. Kaiba dipped his head down, nibbling on his neck. Yami shoved against him, flipping them back over again. Kaiba looked up at him, and Yami smiled. He leaned down, pulling Kaiba into his mouth again. His lover grunted in surprise, his hips moving against him. Yami sucked him, rubbed him with tongue, until he was hard and aching again. He ignored Kaiba's agitated movements, tormenting him with his tongue until he was satisfied. Lifting off, he leaned over to grab the lubricant from the nightstand.

Once it was open, it was passed on to Kaiba, who slicked his fingers. Yami lifted up further onto his hands and knees, spreading his legs further over Kaiba's waist. He groaned when Kaiba began sliding his fingers into him, stretching and preparing him languidly. Kaiba leaned up a bit, his mouth working along Yami's neck. His fingers slowly slid in and out, until Yami was rocking his hips in tandem. Gasping for breath, shivering at every little shock of pleasure tingling through his body, Yami tilted his head down and caught Kaiba's mouth in a kiss, tugging pleadingly on his bottom lip.

Kaiba growled at him and removed his fingers, before his hands went to Yami's hips. He moved him, guiding him into position and then pulling him down onto his slick erection. Yami gasped sharply, arching and throwing his head back, eyes closed tightly. The sensation of being filled burned through his nerves and he groaned as he finally settled down completely on Kaiba's hips. He stopped there for a moment, feeling Kaiba's thumbs rubbing along his hips. Opening his eyes and tilting his head down, he met Kaiba's gaze as the other looked up at him keenly, watching. Yami smiled, then ground his hips, his smile widening as Kaiba groaned.

Then it was his turn to groan as Kaiba's hands suddenly tightened on his hips and he pushed Yami upward before following with his hips, slamming into him. Yami cried out, letting his head fall back again, fingers digging into Kaiba's biceps. He bit his lip as Kaiba continued to move, thrusting strongly into him with a slow rocking of his hips. Dropping his head down again, his eyes still closed and his lip still caught between his teeth, Yami moved against him, whining as the pace increased. Kaiba's grip was fierce on his hips, controlling his movements.

"Kaiba," Yami moaned, opening his eyes.

Kaiba's gaze burned with lust. His hips jerked up harder and Yami cried out. A smirk crossed Kaiba's lips and he continued to thrust steadily, low groans half-stifled in his throat. Yami bent forward, making the rhythm easier, and kissed him. He worked his mouth open with his tongue, kissing him passionately as the pleasure began to rise. Kaiba's hips continued to work against him, sending the pleasure higher and higher, pushing him towards his climax. Yami finally broke the kiss to breathe, panting in the rising heat, reaching up to push his bangs from his face before he reached down and gripped his erection. He stroked himself slowly, allowing Kaiba's movements to be the stronger of the two sensations. Finally the feelings overwhelmed him and he cried out as his orgasm rolled through him in waves.

When he came back to himself, Kaiba was still thrusting, prolonging the after-shocks. Gasping for breath, he was rolled over as Kaiba flipped them, pressing him into the mattress. The rhythm became all the harder as Kaiba gained the leverage, pounding into him now. Yami whimpered, eyes squeezed shut at the continued pulses between his hips. He felt Kaiba kissing his ear, then heard him groan as he stiffened. The liquid wave of heat heralded Kaiba's orgasm. Slowly he relaxed and pulled out, sliding off of Yami and onto the bed. Still trembling, his skin shining with sweat, Yami rolled over and settled on his side, watching Kaiba. His lover leaned over and kissed him lightly before the both of them relaxed, settling down to sleep though it was far too early, exhausted.

The sun set outside as Yami slept peacefully beside Kaiba, where he belonged.

Owari.

A/N: I'm sure that's a disappointing ending. I might write an alternate sometime. Next chapter is only a scene cut about Yugi and Joey's final moments. Don't read it if you don't want to be saddened.


	96. Chapter 96

Last Moments

Joey slowly rolled the barrel of the revolver he held. Though neither Yami nor Yugi knew about the gun, Joey had bought it not long after they'd returned from Chicago, where Yami had told them that he was involved with Kaiba and the Mafia. Kaiba. Somehow that bastard always made trouble. And for some reason Yami, and Yugi too, always seemed to think they needed to help him. Kaiba didn't deserve help if he was hanging from a rope over the Grand Canyon, but they seemed to think he did. Which was why Joey hadn't believed Yami when he'd said it was over, and which was why he'd bought the gun, for protection.

Protection. And now it was going to be used for anything but.

How had it come to this? Joey couldn't believe what he was doing. He'd always been a protector. First Serenity, and then Yugi. Sweet, naive, petite Yugi.

And now look at him. Look at what Joey'd done. He could lift Yugi up with one arm, and yet he'd let him infect himself. Yugi had only gotten a sip in his mouth, but then Joey had given into his lust and slept with him. And even then they could have gotten lucky. Joey didn't really believe that, but one had to have hope, right?

Hope. There was hope and then there was foolishness.

Joey continued to look in at Yugi, watching him sleep. He'd gone to sleep early. Yugi was so peaceful, but only for now.

Joey had spent a long time looking at what AIDS did to a person. He felt like something had broken inside him and he couldn't imagine that being Yugi's fate. And even if Yugi never got AIDS, he'd still have HIV. And so he could live with it for years, so what? HIV was no picnic either. Joey knew that from experience. The coughing, the weightloss, the recurring pneumonia.

He should just do it now. While Yugi was sleeping. Quick, painless, and he wouldn't know a thing.

And Joey would follow.

Joey slowly walked into the room. He raised the revolver, turning it to Yugi. Watched his sleeping face. He held the muzzle a half-inch from Yugi's forehead, then pulled back the hammer.

The sharp click woke him. Joey froze as Yugi's wide violet eyes opened, looking up at him slowly in confusion. Yugi's gaze went to the gun, his head pushing back closer to the pillow in surprise. Joey started to just do it, but he didn't. He watched as Yugi looked up at him again, and there was no fear on his face.

"Joey?"

"Yug', I..."

Joey trailed off. A tremble ran through him, making the gun shake. Could he? He had to, didn't he? He just couldn't take this anymore, thinking about what was going to happen to Yugi. Thinking about watching him suffering, withering if he got the AIDS.

Joey's finger tightened on the trigger, and still Yugi looked up at him. No fear. No questions. No begging. No urging, either.

No, he couldn't. Quickly he lowered the gun and turned. He hurried from the room, into the living room.

"Joey! Joey, please, stop!"

Yugi's voice. Joey stopped, though he didn't turn. He felt Yugi's slim fingers grab his wrist, of the hand holding the gun. Joey remained facing away, even as Yugi spoke.

"You're going to die, aren't you?"

"Yug', I'm sorry. I can't--"

"Joey, please, don't go."

Joey turned around slowly. Yugi looked up at him, and now there were tears trickling down his cheeks. Joey felt a sharp stab of pain in his heart, but he said nothing.

"Don't leave me," Yugi whispered.

"Yug'."

"Please." A faint smile spread over Yugi's face. His hand tightened around Joey's wrist. "I know what you're thinking. It's okay. Take me with you."

Joey stared at him for a long time. He should have been surprised by Yugi's words, but he wasn't. Yugi was just as mentally unstable as he was. In fact, if it weren't for Joey, and Yami, Yugi might have offed himself before now. Had been headed down that path, whether or not he believed it.

"I love you," Yugi said. He stood up on his tiptoes and pressed a light kiss to Joey's lips. Then he let go of his wrist.

Joey slowly raised the gun, rested it against Yugi's temple. "I love you, too."

Yugi smiled, then closed his eyes. Joey stared at his face for a long moment, then closed his own eyes. He couldn't watch it. He wouldn't, even for a minute, remember Yugi's face any other way.

The gun went off. He heard Yugi hit the carpet. A shudder ran through him and a moan rose from his throat. He cut off a sob, then forced himself to gather himself together. He raised the gun, and held it to his own head.

"I'm coming, Yugi."

Joey pulled the trigger.


End file.
